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Benign prostatic hyperplasia - Causes

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Alternative Names

Enlarged prostate; BPH

Causes:

The causes of benign prostatic hyperplasia are not fully understood. Several theories have been proposed to explain benign cell growth in older men.

Hormonal Changes

Male Hormones. Androgens (male hormones) most likely play a role in prostate growth. The most important androgen is testosterone, which is produced in the testes throughout a man's lifetime. The prostate converts testosterone to a more powerful androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT stimulates cell growth in the tissue that lines the prostate gland (the glandular epithelium) and is the major cause of the rapid prostate enlargement that occurs between puberty and young adulthood. DHT is a prime suspect in prostate enlargement in later adulthood.

Female Hormones. The female hormone estrogen may also play a role in BPH. (Some estrogen is always present in men.) As men age, testosterone levels drop, and the proportion of estrogen increases, possibly triggering prostate growth.

Late Activation of Cell Growth

Another theory focuses on cells in a certain section of the gland that may become active late in life, signaling other prostate cells to replicate or causing them to be sensitive to growth-stimulating hormones.

Resources

www.niddk.nih.gov -- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
www.urologyhealth.org -- American Urological Association

References

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Bravi F, Bosetti C, Dal Maso L, Talamini R, Montella M, Negri E, et al. Food groups and risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Urology. 2006 Jan;67(1):73-9.

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Fitzpatrick JM. Minimally invasive and endoscopic management of benign prostatic hyperplasia. In: Wein AJ, ed. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 88.

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Reviewed last on: 7/8/2009
Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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