• Urology
  • General medicine

IPSS score

Lower urinary tract symptoms

The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) quantifies lower urinary tract symptoms in men. It helps to describe their severity and track their progression. Despite its name, a high score does not prove that symptoms are due to benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Number of questions
7 questions
Approximate duration
2 to 3 minutes
Population
Adult men with urinary symptoms
Modality
Self-administered questionnaire, with reading assistance if needed

QuestionnaireIPSS

SELF-QUESTIONNAIRE

Seven questions about urinary symptoms over the past month, scored from 0 to 5. The response options are not all worded in the same way.

Are you patient?

You can complete the IPSS yourself before a consultation. The result describes your symptoms, but it cannot be used on its own to diagnose a prostate condition.

Question 1 / 7

1

How often have you had the sensation that your bladder was not completely emptied?

Terms of contract

Keeping the answers makes it possible to distinguish the most bothersome symptoms from the overall level alone. When providing feedback, present the symptoms and their impact on the patient separately.

Score interpretationIPSS

The sum of the seven items gives a score from 0 to 35: 0 to 7 minimally symptomatic, 8 to 19 moderately symptomatic, 20 to 35 severe symptoms.

Total score

First reading

  • 0 to 7

    Absent or mild urinary symptoms (0 to 7).

  • 8 to 19

    Moderate urinary symptoms (8 to 19).

  • 20 to 35

    Severe urinary symptoms (20 to 35).

The IPSS quality of life question is scored separately from 0 to 6 and is not added to the score; there is no combined total out of 41.

The score measures neither prostate volume nor the degree of obstruction, and should not be interpreted as a test for prostate cancer. It does not explore all urinary complaints and does not specify their cause: the context, examination, and relevant investigations remain necessary.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and references

Derived from the AUA Symptom Index by Michael J. Barry and colleagues

AUA Symptom Index, 1992; IPSS international version.

Questionnaires and associated scores

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