Effect of Median Lobe Enlargement on Early Prostatic Artery Embolization Outcomes

Purpose: To evaluate outcomes after prostatic artery embolization (PAE) in patients with severe intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP). Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective, single health system, 2-hospital study from April 2015 to December 2018 of 54 patients who underwent elective PAE procedures (age mean 67.5 years; standard deviation [SD] 8.5). The cohort had a mean ellipsoid prostate volume of 100.1 cm³ (SD 56.7), a mean baseline International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) of 18.7 (SD 8.2), a mean baseline quality of life (QOL) score of 4.1 (SD 1.4), and a median follow-up of 38 days (range 10–656 days). Outcomes including IPSS and QOL score reduction (where a lower QOL score indicates an improvement in QOL), and clinical success were compared between severe (≥10 mm) and nonsevere (<10 mm) IPP patients. A linear regression model was used to examine the impact of IPP on these outcomes. Results: No significant differences in patient characteristics were found between nonsevere (n = 17) and severe (n = 37) IPP patients. Both cohorts showed IPSS reduction (nonsevere 6.0, P =.0397; severe 8.2, P <.0001) and QOL score reduction (nonsevere 1.0, P =.102; severe 2.0, P <.0001). No significant differences in IPSS or QOL score reduction were found between the cohorts (P =.431 and P =.127). Linear regression found that baseline IPP was not a significant contributor to the outcomes (IPSS: R² =.5, P <.0001; IPP: P =.702; QOL: R² =.5, P =.0003; IPP: P =.108). Conclusions: There were no significant differences in early outcomes in PAE between patients with severe and nonsevere IPP.