Benign Prostate Hyperplasia: what is it?

Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common disease of the prostate and is characterized by prostate increased size that causes exact symptoms.

The two accepted factors involved in disease etiology are: age and presence of androgen. These factors are confirmed by studies showing that clinical BPH occurs more frequently in older people but also by the fact that the disease occurs in men who have undergone orchiectomy in young age, nor in patients experiencing deficiency in production and / or action of androgens.

In recent years, emphasis has been placed in the metabolic syndrome and how it may affect the BPH. It is known that obese men produce more estradiol compared to those of normal weight. Several other factors have been studied as alcohol, hypertension and liver cirrhosis that appea to have no clear correlation with BPH.

Development of BPH includes three stages: formation of nodules, widespread development of the transition zone and development of nodules at the latter are of urethra. In men up to 70 years, universal increase of prostate gland size commonly found while epithelial elements excel along with large-sized nodules.

In BPH, the prostate gland appears nodular, rubbery and bloated macroscopically. Swelling is focused on the side or middle lobe. In cross section the organ has multiple microvesicles from which milky liquid emerges along with multiple proliferative textured-gray nodules.