The Symptoms of Bladder Outlet Obstruction

Abstract

Irrespective of its cause, the basic effect of partial obstruction of the outlet of the bladder is simply mechanical; this is reflected in “mechanical” symptoms: slow start, poor or intermittent stream, terminal dribble. There may be a residual volume of urine remaining in the bladder at the completion of voiding, although some patients with the severest degree of outlet obstruction empty their bladders completely, albeit very slowly; this is a particularly common finding when the obstruction is due to a dyssynergic bladder neck mechanism (Fig. I) .⁸