Prevalence and detection of micturition problems among 2,734 elderly men.

In previous studies symptom prevalence of micturition problems in the population appeared to be high. Our study supports these data and adds retrospective data on doctor visits, with 25% reporting a doctor visit during the last 5 years for a micturition problem. However, all symptoms (hematuria, dysuria, incontinence and symptoms possibly related to benign prostatic hyperplasia) showed substantial numbers of patients who were not sufficiently motivated or did not have the opportunity to visit a doctor for diagnosis and advice. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a number of symptoms that independently predict doctor visits for benign prostatic hyperplasia and related diseases (frequent urination at night, frequent urination during the day, incomplete emptying, dysuria and incontinence). We conclude that the iceberg phenomenon applies to the number of patient visits and the predictive value of symptoms for prognosis of several prostate diseases.