High intensity focused ultrasound in benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an extremely common condition and represents a major health issue in terms of patient numbers and treatment cost. Traditionally, the choice of treatment has been between watchful waiting and surgery, however, the side effects of surgery lead to reluctance for treatment in many men, other than those with severe symptoms and complications. In the last 2 decades there has been a rapid expansion in the number of treatments being offered and the number of patients submitting to novel therapies. Medical management has evolved to achieve a central role in the management of BPH. Heat based treatments are also being investigated with considerable interest. Transrectal high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is one such treatment, which allows radiation-free treatment, without the need for intra-urethral manipulation. Imaging can be performed during treatment and treatment results in symptomatic improvement, which is retained with medium-term follow-up. It involves a brief hospital stay and post-operative complications are few. The use of HIFU has also been extended to the treatment of renal, prostatic and bladder tumours and the results in these areas suggest further expansion of its role in urological practice.