ABSTRACT
In most aging males, the prostate enlarges, which may obstruct the urethra that it surrounds. As a result, flow rate may be reduced, voiding becomes more frequent and the risk of residual urine in the bladder after voiding increases. A weakly contracting detrusor, however, also reduces the flow rate. To differentiate between the causes of impaired voiding, bladder pressure needs to be measured. The International Continence Society (ICS) has provided a provisional method for diagnosing obstruction on the basis of bladder pressure measured via catheters in the bladder and rectum. The invasiveness of these measurements, however, limits the clinical applicability of this test and, moreover, scientific research. The development of simple, non-invasive and inexpensive measurement devices could lower the threshold for practical application of urodynamic testing.
