II. Epidemiology
- Prostatitis accounts for 25% genitourinary complaints in men
III. Types: NIH Consensus Classification of Prostatitis
- Infectious Prostatitis: Categories 1 and 2 (10% of Prostatitis cases)
- Acute Bacterial Prostatitis
- Severe, acute prostate Bacterial Infection with an ill, toxic appearing patient
- Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis
- Symptoms >3 months with culture demonstrating the same organism
- Presents with Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections after complete clearing of prior infection
- Acute Bacterial Prostatitis
- Noninfectious Prostatitis: Categories 3 and 4 (90% of Prostatitis cases)
- Chronic Nonbacterial Prostatitis
- Symptoms >3 months with inconsistent culture results
- May be Inflammatory (White Blood Cells >10 per HPF) or Non-Inflammatory
- Causes Chronic Pelvic Pain in Men
- Asymptomatic Prostatitis
- White Blood Cells >10 per HPF despite lack of symptoms
- Chronic Nonbacterial Prostatitis
IV. Symptoms
- Irritative urinary symptoms
- Dysuria
- Urinary Frequency
- Urinary urgency
- Ejaculatory pain
- Hematospermia
- Referred pain
- Low pack pain
- Perineal pain
- Lower Abdominal Pain
- Scrotal Pain
- Pain in penis
- Pain in inner thighs
- Systemic symptoms (e.g. fever)
- Suggests Acute Prostatitis, Prostate abscess or other significant acute infection
- Obstructive urinary symptoms (diminished urinary stream, hesitancy, straining)
V. Exam
- Abdominal exam including Pelvis and flank
- Genitourinary exam (scrotal exam and penis exam)
-
Digital Rectal Exam
- Avoid Prostatic Massage in suspected Acute Bacterial Prostatitis
- Obtain Urinalysis and Urine Culture before and after Prostatic Massage
VI. Differential Diagnosis
VII. Precautions
-
Cystoscopy (and urine cytology) Indications
- Hematuria and Bladder Cancer risk factors (Tobacco Abuse, age >40 years old)
VIII. Management
- See Acute Bacterial Prostatitis
- See Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis
- See Chronic Nonbacterial Prostatitis
IX. References
- Cooner (1994) Am Fam Physician, p. 9-15
- Coker (2016) Am Fam Physician 93(2): 114-20 [PubMed]
- Holt (2016) Am Fam Physician 93(4):290-6 [PubMed]
- Lam (2024) Am Fam Physician 110(1): 45-51 [PubMed]
- Krieger (1999) JAMA 281(3): 236-7 [PubMed]
- Nickel (2011) Can Urol Assoc J 5(5):306-15 +PMID: 22031609 [PubMed]