Correlation of sonographically-determined residual urine volume with lower urinary tract symptoms in adult males at a tertiary hospital

Objective: To determine the correlation between the severity of LUTS as measured by the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and PVR urine volume measured by transabdominal ultrasound in patients with LUTS, and to determine the correlation between ‘feeling of incomplete bladder emptying and sonographically measured PVR urine volume.Design: Correlational cross-sectional studySetting: Ultrasound Unit of the Radiology Department and Urology Clinic of Korle Bu Teaching HospitalParticipants: Male patients (n=256) aged 40 years or older who presented to the urology department of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital with LUTS and gave their written consent were enrolled. The presence and severity of LUTS were evaluated using the IPSS. The PVR urine was measured using a real-time transabdominal ultrasound scan.Main outcome measure: Severity of LUTS and Residual urine volumeResults: The mean PVR urine volume was 84.5ml. Most respondents (57.3%, n=146) had PVR urine volume below 50ml, with 27% (70 patients) having PVR urine volume above 100ml. PVR urine volume and total IPSS showed no statistically significant correlation. All age groups of respondents scored above 4 for Quality of life (QoL). ‘Intermittency’ is the IPSS symptom, which showed a statistically significant correlation with PVR urine volume. PVR urine volume did not correlate statistically with the ‘feeling of incomplete emptying’.Conclusions: There was no statistically significant correlation between the total IPSS and PVR urine volume. Thus, residual urine volume does not correlate with the severity of LUTS. The ‘feeling of incomplete emptying’ does not correlate with PVR urine volume.