Male urological conditions can include benign prostatic hyperplasia, urinary retention, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, bladder cancer and kidney stones. Treatment and management of these conditions may include invasive and non-invasive methods, and this is just a small example of some of the urological conditions that can affect men. An Andrologist would primarily treat men who may have issues with their male reproductive system.
Below you will find a case study of a typical presentation of a male patient with urinary issues.
This is an example of how a patient may present and all the investigations or tests that the patient may require, this is an example of a common urological problem that urology nurses will see in their practice.
Male Urology Case study
John is a 60-year-old gentleman who has presented to his GP with worsening urinary flow over the last 6 months, he has also noticed on two occasions blood in his urine, he also reports that he is getting up twice at night to void, when previously he would not get up at night to void.
The GP has referred him to urology for further investigation.
You are meeting John for the first time in the nurse-led lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) clinic.
Some of the investigations you may consider may include a urinary dipstick to rule out urinary infection, you may also send the urine off for MC&S. You may want to do a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, and you would need to counsel John appropriately about a PSA test. A flow rate test could be performed and you may wish to perform a post-void scan. A digital rectal examination (DRE) should also be considered. You may also wish to discuss with John a flexible cystoscopy, what could be causing his weak flow, he has also experienced haematuria so sinister pathology in his bladder would need to be ruled out. What other investigations may you consider? If the PSA tests was elevated for his age, what further tests may John need?