A prospective study of the natural history of hematuria associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia and the effect of finasteride

Purpose: We prospectively studied the effect of finasteride on chronic hematuria associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Materials and Methods: We prospectively evaluated 57 patients with chronic intermittent hematuria who were randomized to a finasteride treated or a control arm. Results: In the untreated control group hematuria recurred in 17 patients (63%) within a year but in only 4 (14%) in the finasteride group, which was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). Surgery was required for bleeding in 7 controls (26%), while no patient on finasteride required surgery. Conclusions: Hematuria secondary to prostatic bleeding may be significant if not treated. Finasteride appears to be effective for suppressing hematuria caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia and should be considered as treatment.