How different strains of COVID-19 affect LUTS in BPH patients?

In late 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown etiology was reported in Wuhan (China). The causative agent was quickly identified as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) on various organs and symptoms has been studied, there is still a dearth of data regarding its effect on the genitourinary system. In this study, we investigated the impact of different COVID-19 strains on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A total of 69 patients who had previously been infected with COVID-19 from August 2021 to October 2021 and January 2022 to May 2022 were assessed. The two periods were purposively selected based on the dominant COVID-19 variant: the Delta strain for the first period and Omicron for the second, respectively. All patients had BPH and were followed up in two outpatient practices. Demographic information was collected, and LUTS were assessed using the international prostate symptom score (IPSS) questionnaires before and after COVID-19. Ultrasound examinations were performed to determine the prostate gland volume and the post-voided residual (PVR) in each patient. All patients affected by COVID-19 exhibited a worsening of LUTS. The degree of deterioration differed between those infected with different COVID-19 strains. Patients infected with the Delta strain had more severe LUTS than those with the Omicron strain. There is currently limited information available regarding the emerging pathophysiological processes in the urogenital system related to COVID-19. This present study serves as a preliminary investigation into the impact of COVID-19 on LUTS in BPH patients and could serve as a basis for more extensive multicenter studies leading to fundamental discoveries.