Comparison of Visual Prostate Symptom Score and International Prostate Symptom Score in the evaluation of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: A prospective study from an Indian population

BACKGROUND: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are common conditions in middle-age or older men. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) is a useful and validated questionnaire to evaluate LUTS secondary to BPH. Van der Walt et al have developed an alternative questionnaire named the Visual Prostate Symptom Score (VPSS) questionnaire. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the VPSS and IPSS in the evaluation of men with LUTSs due to BPH in an Indian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospectively designed study conducted at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prashanthigram (Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India). A total of 121 patients who presented to the urology outpatient department with LUTS due to BPH were enrolled in the study. Patients were followed up at 1-month and 3-month intervals. All patients were given both questionnaires. The correlation test was used to assess the correlation between two symptom scores and various parameters. Observations with a P value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in the number of patients requiring assistance to fill the questionnaires according to their education level. There was a positive correlation between IPSS total score and VPSS total score (r = 0.7235; P < 0.0001), VPSS total score and VPSS quality of life (Qol; r = 0.70753; p < 0.0001), IPSS total versus IPSS Qol (r = 0.65583; P < 0.0001), and IPSS Qol versus VPSS Qol (r = 0.84093; P < 0.0001). A negative correlation was observed between total VPSS with Q(max), total IPSS with Q(max), IPSS total versus Q(avg) (r = −0.479; P < 0.0001), and VPSS total versus Q(avg) (r = −0.5; P < 0.0001). All VPSS questions showed statistically significant correlation with the corresponding IPSS questions. CONCLUSION: There is a statistically significant correlation between the VPSS and IPSS and it can be completed by a greater number of patients without assistance.