| Summary: | In late 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown etiology was reported in Wuhan
(China). The causative agent was quickly identified as severe acute respiratory
syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus
disease 2019) on various organs and symptoms has been studied, there is still a
dearth of data regarding its effect on the genitourinary system. In this study,
we investigated the impact of different COVID-19 strains on lower urinary tract
symptoms (LUTS) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A total of
69 patients who had previously been infected with COVID-19 from August 2021 to
October 2021 and January 2022 to May 2022 were assessed. The two periods were
purposively selected based on the dominant COVID-19 variant: the Delta strain for
the first period and Omicron for the second, respectively. All patients had BPH
and were followed up in two outpatient practices. Demographic information was
collected, and LUTS were assessed using the international prostate symptom score
(IPSS) questionnaires before and after COVID-19. Ultrasound examinations were
performed to determine the prostate gland volume and the post-voided residual
(PVR) in each patient. All patients affected by COVID-19 exhibited a worsening of
LUTS. The degree of deterioration differed between those infected with different
COVID-19 strains. Patients infected with the Delta strain had more severe LUTS
than those with the Omicron strain. There is currently limited information
available regarding the emerging pathophysiological processes in the urogenital
system related to COVID-19. This present study serves as a preliminary
investigation into the impact of COVID-19 on LUTS in BPH patients and could serve
as a basis for more extensive multicenter studies leading to fundamental
discoveries.
|
|---|