Assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) encompass a range of symptoms commonly experienced by both men and women. Discrepancies in interpretation require a standardized terminology, with an understanding of the different causations for each symptom. These should replace previous misleading words such as ‘prostatism’. The use of algorithms from evidence-based guidelines limits variations in management and avoids unnecessary investigations. Although symptoms do not predict the underlying pathophysiology, a useful approach is to try and develop a urodynamic diagnosis from the point of taking a history and using appropriate investigations in a logical, step-wise manner to arrive at a working diagnosis.