Bladder outlet obstruction

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Female urinary tract

Kidney anatomy

Kidney - blood and urine flow

Male urinary tract

Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) is a blockage at the base of the bladder that reduces or prevents the flow of urine into the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body.

BOO; Lower urinary tract obstruction; Prostatism

Bladder outlet obstruction can have many different causes. Some of the most common causes of BOO are:

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
• Bladder calculi (stones)
• Urethral stricture (scar tissue)
• Bladder tumors (cancer)
• Pelvic tumors (cervix, prostate, uterus, rectal)

Less common causes of bladder outlet obstruction include:

• Cystocele
• Posterior urethral valves (congenital birth defect)
• Foreign objects
• Urethral spasms
• Urethral diverticula

Bladder outlet obstruction is most common in aging men, and is often caused by BPH. Bladder stones and bladder cancer are also more commonly seen in men than women. As a man ages, the chance of developing these diseases increases dramatically. One in three American males over the age of 60 has significant symptoms of bladder outlet obstruction.

• Bladder stones
• Obstructive nephropathy
• Reflux nephropathy
• Benign prostatic hypertrophy

Review Date: 06/13/2006
Reviewed By: Neil D. Sherman, MD, Urologist, Essex County, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.