Interpretation of Uroflowmetry Curves by Urologists

ABSTRACTPurpose: Uroflowmetry has become a routine investigation in patients with symptoms of the lower urinary tract. Little is known about the variation in the use of uroflowmetry and in the interpretation of its outcomes. We investigated the diagnostic value of uroflowmetry as a freestanding test, and examined the interobserver and intra-observer variation in the interpretation of uroflowmetry curves.Materials and Methods: A representative panel of 58 urologists was questioned about the relevance of visual inspection and flow parameters for interpretation. In addition, they individually assessed 25 randomly selected uroflowmetry curves (from patients with no abnormalities and those with various lower urinary tract symptoms) regarding normal findings and the most likely diagnosis. To investigate intra-observer agreement 4 of these curves were studied twice.Results: Voided volume (81%), visual inspection (77%) and maximum flow rate (77%) were most frequently mentioned as relevant for interpretation. Larg...