Purpose: The relationship between blood flow and lower urinary tract disease was explored by measuring blood flow in the common iliac vein to examine the influence of pelvic congestion on lower urinary tract symptoms.
Methods: Color Doppler ultrasonography of the right common iliac vein was performed in 113 men and 60 women, who were outpatients of two Japanese hospitals. Average blood flow velocity and cross-sectional area of the vein were measured, and blood flow volume was calculated. The relationship between these parameters and age or urological diseases was then examined.
Results: There was no relation between age and average blood flow velocity or blood flow volume of the common iliac vein in either men or women. However, average common iliac vein blood flow velocity was significantly lower in men with chronic prostatitis and in women with overactive bladder than in other male and female patients, respectively. Common iliac vein blood flow volume was also significantly lower in men with chronic prostatitis than in other male patients.
Conclusions: Men with chronic prostatitis and women with overactive bladder have low blood flow in the common iliac vein, suggesting that pelvic congestion may be related to these two conditions.
Keywords: Blood flow; Common iliac vein; Overactive bladder; Pelvic congestion; Prostatitis.