The spectrum of available treatment options for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is matched by the spectrum of disease severity, and with up to 90 per cent of men in their 80s suffering from BPH to some extent, it is imperative that patients are offered the full range of options to manage the disease. Pharmacologic therapies available for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to BPH include alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists, such as terazosin, doxazosin, alfuzosin and tamsulosin, and the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, finasteride and dutasteride. Other strategies, such as plant-derived medication or watchful waiting, are applied to varying extents. Derived from the benchmark title on BPH - the Textbook of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, 2nd edition - this well written and highly illustrated guide covers all these therapies and presents physicians with all they need to know to successfully manage the disease.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects 20-30 million American men, most of whom are over 50 years of age. In a UK-based study, 32% of British men had difficulty obtaining an erection, 20% with maintaining an erection. In recent years the physiology and pathophysiology of ED have changed our understanding of what ED is from a purely psychological-based disorder to a multifactorial one, with neurological, endocrinological, psychological factors and the role of the vascular system. Recently identified risk factors include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, spinal cord injury, smoking, depression, atherosclerosis, hypertension, pelvic surgery and trauma, pharmacological medications, arthritis, peripheral vascular disease, substance abuse, endocrine abnormalities and peptic ulcer disease. Many ED patients have a combination of these risk factors, thus exacerbating ED further. The treatment of ED was revolutionized in 1998 with the introduction of sildenafil. Beside these oral treatments, newer injectable agents are being investigated as are topical preparations. However, not all patients are tolerant of oral agents, many patients still require penile reconstruction with penile implants, an option with low complications and morbidity. There are options for all patients and this excellent, updated text, edited by some of the world's leading authorities - Culley Carson, Roger Kirby and Irwin Goldstein - discusses them all.