Your doctor may want to do these studies if your history or the physical exam suggests that the primary cause of your symptoms—perhaps from a neurologic condition—is bladder dysfunction, not BPH. Cystometry is a means of measuring bladder pressure and function. It’s performed by threading a small catheter into the penis, through the urethra and into the bladder to monitor pressure changes as the bladder is filled with water. Also helpful are pressure-flow studies, in which bladder pressure is monitored as you urinate, again via a small catheter. (Note: Any time a catheter is inserted into the urethra, there’s a slight risk of a urinary tract infection developing a few days later. Be sure to tell your doctor about any subsequent fever or discomfort.) Pressures within the bladder are compared to the rate at which the urine flows from the body. Pressure flow studies can be helpful in determining whether men with high peak urinary flow rates are obstructed. Some men with significant obstruction can produce reasonable urinary flow rates because they can generate high bladder pressure; these men will have relief of symptoms if their obstruction is treated. But in some men, low urinary flow rates are caused by diseased bladders that do not generate much pressure. These men do not benefit from relief of obstruction.

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