The term BPH is misused

doi:10.1136/bmj.39493.447361.1F

BMJ 2008;336:405 (23 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.39493.447361.1F

Letters

Benign prostatic hyperplasia

The term BPH is misused

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Drug companies market drugs for BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia).However, this is a misuse of the term, which all dictionariesdefine as a histological term and not related to gross anatomicalchange. It is therefore disappointing that the BMJ has commissionedreview articles on BPH .¹ Several important organisations haveaccepted the arguments presented in the BMJ in 1994, that theterm LUTS (lower urinary tract symptoms) should be used ratherthan "prostatism," and now "storage" and "voiding" symptomsare the preferred terms to "irritative" and "obstructive" symptoms.²³ ⁴ ⁵ However, these organisations also supported the proposalfor the proper use of the terms BPH (histology), BPE (enlargement),and BPO (obstruction).⁵

Using the correct terminology (BPH, BPE, BPO) is likely to protectmen from inappropriate treatment and help ensure that care isfocused on the cause of their LUTS.

All men have prostates, and if they live long enough they willget . . . [Full text of this article]

Paul Abrams, professor of urology

¹ Bristol Urological Institute, Southmead Hospital, Bristol BS10 5NB

paul_abrams@bui.ac.uk