Urinary Incontinence and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Flashcards
What is BPH?
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
How and when does the prostate develop in utero / gestation?
Develops between weeks 10-16 of gestation from epithelial buds which branch out from the posterior aspect of the urogenital sinus to invade the mesenchyme
Influenced by the hormone dihydrotestosterone, which is produced by epithelial cells
Stromal-epithelial interaction is important, dihydrotestosterone acts on mesenchymal androgen receptors
What is the arterial supply for the prostate?
Arises from branches of the inferior vesical artery
This provides the prostatic artery divides into urethral and capsular groups of arteries
Urethral group give rise to Flock’s and Badenoch’s arteries (both at 1 & 11 o’clock and Badenoch’s arteries approach it at 5 & 7 o’clock)
The capsular branches of th eprostatic artery run with the cavernosal nerves
What is the venous drainage of the prostate?
The venous drainage is via the peri-prostatic venous plexus
This also receives the deep dorsal vein of the penis and numerous vesical veins
The periprostatic venous plexus eventually drains into the internal iliac vein
What is the lymphatic drainage of the prostate?
Mainly to the obturator nodes and then the internal iliac chain
What is the zonal anatomy of the prostate?
They are also called McNeal’s zones
- Transition zone
- 10% of the glandular tissue of the prostate
- Site of origin of benign prostatic hyperplasia - Central zone
- 25% of the glandular tissue of the prostate - Peripheral zone
- 65% of the glandular tissue of the prostate
What is the role of the capsule?
The capsule transmits the ‘pressure’ of tissue expansion to the urethra and leads to an increase in urethral resistance
How is active smooth muscle tone regulated?
Active smooth muscle tone is regulated by the adrenergic nervous system
(alpha-1A) ⍺1A is the most abundant adrenoceptor subtype in the human prostate
What is the function of the prostate?
Liquify the ejaculation
What is Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS)?
Non-specific term for symptoms which may be attributable to lower urinary tract dysfunction
What is meant by Benign Prostatic Enlargement (BPE)?
Clinical finding of enlarged prostate
i.e. during rectal examination - feel of an enlarged prostate
What is meant by Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)?
Histological diagnosis - increase in number of cells
What is meant by Bladder Outflow Obstruction (BOO)?
Urodynamically (urodynamic = test for finding out how your bladder, sphincter, and urethra are working) proven obstruction to passage of urine
When this obstruction is caused by BPE, it is called BPO (benign prostatic obstruction)
What is meant by Benign Prostatic Obstruction (BPO)?
BOO caused be BPE
What is meant by Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy?
Pathologically incorrect - increase in cell size
What is the pathophysiology of BPH?
Increased number of epithelial and stromal cells in the peri-urethral area of the prostate in response to androgens (testosterone) and growth factors
Results in increased urethral resistance (as enlarged prostate puts pressure against the walls of the urethra) resulting in compensatory changes in bladder function
Can lead to reduced urinary flow, increased urinary frequency, urgency and nocturia
How does bladder function change in BPH to lead to reduced urinary flow, increased urinary frequency, urgency and nocturia?
Detrusor = smooth muscle wall of the bladder
The detrusor muscle remains relaxed to allow the bladder to store urine, and contracts during urination to release urine
The detrusor muscle pressure required to maintain urinary flow in the presence of urethral (outflow) resistance happens at the expense of normal bladder storage function
The urethral obstruction induces changes in the detrusor function - this causes the BPH related symptoms
What is the prostate capsule and how does it contribute to LUTS?
The capsule transmits the ‘pressure’ of tissue expansion to the urethra and leads to an increase in urethral resistance
Does the size of the prostate predict the degree of obstruction?
No, there is no correlation - other factors e.g. dynamic urethral resistance, the prostatic capsule, and anatomic pleomorphism, are more important in the production of clinical symptoms than the absolute size of the prostate
What is smooth muscle in BPH representative of?
Prostatic smooth muscle represents a significant volume of the gland