Topic Overview
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) rarely has
complications. When it does, they are often due to severe obstruction of the
urine flow. These complications include:
- Complete blockage of the
urethra (acute urinary retention, or AUR). This
results in a complete inability to urinate. It can cause kidney damage, which may be reversed if the
problem is diagnosed and treated before the damage becomes too severe. It may
also result in waste products building up in the blood. A tube called a
catheter may be needed to drain urine from the
bladder.
- Long-term, partial blockage of
urine flow from the bladder (chronic urinary retention, or CUR). This causes
urine to remain in the bladder after urination (post-void residual urine). In
rare cases, this may lead to kidney damage, which may be reversed if the
problem is diagnosed and treated before the damage becomes too severe. It may
also result in waste products building up in the blood.
- A
urinary tract infection (UTI). But repeated
urinary tract infections can also be caused by long-term inflammation or infection
in the prostate (chronic prostatitis).
Other complications of BPH may include
bladder stones or
bladder infections and visible blood in the urine (gross
hematuria).
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
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| Primary Medical Reviewer | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine |
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| Specialist Medical Reviewer | J. Curtis Nickel, MD, FRCSC - Urology |
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| Last Revised | March 5, 2012 |
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