Prostatic Obstruction Investigation Team Multicenter Study
Prostatic Obstruction Investigation Team Multicenter Study
The present is a multicenter, observational study organized by the Prostatic Obstruction
 Investigation Team (POInT), with a main purpose of looking into the current status and
 symptom progression of male lower urinary tract symptoms patients in China.
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is a common medical condition negatively affecting
 people's quality of life worldwide. LUTS may be caused by structural or functional
 abnormalities in 1 or more parts of the lower urinary tract, including bladder, prostate,
 internal and external urethral sphincter and distal urethra. Furthermore, evidence exists to
 demonstrate that LUTS is associate with lifestyle factors, systemic comorbidities and
 geriatric diseases, such as smoking, obesity, metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney diseases and
 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease etc. So far, there is lack of evidence to illustrate
 the symptom features and comorbidities among Chinese male LUTS patients. Therefore, this
 multicenter clinical study aims to investigate the present status and symptom progression
 among male LUTS patients in China.
Inclusion Criteria:

 1. Male, 45 years or older.

 2. The presence of lower urinary tract symptoms, i.e. frequency, urgency, urge
 incontinence, dysuria, post-micturition dribble, etc.

 3. All participants have signed the informed consent form.

 4. Clinical data comes from 23 selected hospitals spread across China.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 1. Lower urinary tract symptoms as a result of urethral stricture, stone diseases,
 chronic prostatitis, space-occupying lesions etc.

 2. Diagnosis or suspicion of renal, ureteral, bladder, prostate, urethral or pelvic
 tumor.

 3. Known neurogenic or congenital lower urinary tract dysfunction.

 4. Known urinary tract, prostate or pelvic surgical history.

 5. Existence of anatomical abnormalities of the urinary tract (e.g. diverticulum of the
 bladder or urethra, ectopic ureteral orifice etc.).

 6. The presence of acute conditions, such as, urinary tract infection, fever, heart
 failure etc.

 7. Patients with poor compliance or cognitive competence.