Traditionally, the measurement of postvoid residual urinary volume (PVR) has played a prominent role in the evaluation of men with symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This article reviews current opinions about the cause of PVR, methods and accuracy of measurement, correlations between PVR and symptoms as well as physiologic measures of BPH and the role of PVR determination in the evaluation of BPH patients. Community-based data obtained on PVR in men aged between 55 and 74 years in the city of Rotterdam (The Netherlands) are reported.