A 60-year-old man presents with urinary frequency, urgency, and nocturia over the past several months. He reports a weak urinary stream and feeling of incomplete bladder emptying. What could be the potential causes, and what are the next steps?
This patient's symptoms are suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common condition in older men where the prostate gland enlarges, causing urinary symptoms. Other potential causes include urinary tract infection, bladder dysfunction, or prostate cancer. The next steps would involve a prostate examination, urinalysis to rule out infection, and potentially a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test to screen for prostate cancer. If BPH is suspected, medical management with alpha-blockers or 5-alpha reductase inhibitors could be considered.