Determination of Prostate Gland Volume by Ultrasonography and Its Correlation with Anthropometric Measurements in a Subset of Karachi Population

Objectives: To establish the local reference range of prostate volume according to our subset of population. To correlate prostate volume (PV) with age, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC).

Methods: A cross-sectional study with 119 healthy adults aged 40-79 years without any prostatic pathology were recruited .The study population was categorized into 4 age groups (40 - <50 yrs, 50 -<60 yrs, 60-<70 yrs, 70-<80 yrs), 3 BMI groups (healthy, obese and overweight) and 2 WC groups (<90 cm and >90 cm). A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant.

Results: The mean prostate volume was 21.7±2.2 mls, mean body mass index was 28±6 kg/m², whereas mean waist circumference was 95 cm. PV was found to be higher in obese and >90 cm waist circumference group. After applying multiple regression analysis, waist circumference correlated positively and significantly with prostate volume.

Conclusion: Mean prostate volume in our studied population was smaller than that of many western populations. Our study has proved that central obesity is the most important factor influencing prostate volume.