Prostatitis and related syndromes

—Specialisation

Quick Answer

Quick Answer: Prostatitis

What is prostatitis?+

Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate gland. It can be acute (sudden bacterial infection), chronic bacterial (recurrent), chronic pelvic pain syndrome (no infection), or asymptomatic inflammation found incidentally.

What are the symptoms of prostatitis?+

Pelvic, perineal, or lower-back pain, painful urination, urinary urgency or frequency, painful ejaculation, and erectile difficulty. Acute bacterial prostatitis additionally causes fever, chills, and severe systemic symptoms.

How is prostatitis diagnosed?+

Diagnosis combines clinical history, digital rectal examination, urinalysis and urine culture, and (when indicated) expressed prostatic secretions or semen culture. Imaging may rule out abscess or other pathology.

How is prostatitis treated?+

Acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis need a 2–4 week course of targeted antibiotics. Chronic pelvic pain syndrome is treated multimodally with alpha-blockers, anti-inflammatories, pelvic-floor physiotherapy, and lifestyle changes.



What is Prostate?

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located between the bladder and the penis. It produces part of the seminal fluid. Prostatitis – inflammation of the prostate – is distinct from prostate cancer or benign prostatic enlargement, and is treated very differently.



Prostate is a glands that lies below the bladder and is found in the men.



Prostatitis is the inflammation of the prostate gland.

Classification

Prostate is usually classified into various syndromes.

N

Acute Prostatitis

N

Chronic Prostatitis – Bacterial

N

Chronic prostatitis – Non Bacterial

Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis Each form of prostatitis differs in cause, symptoms and treatment.

Acute Prostatitis

Acute prostatitis is caused from the serious bacterial infection occurring with the prostate gland. It is a medical emergency.

Signs and Symptoms

N

Have chills

N

Have fever

N

Frequent urination

N

Pain in genital area

N

Pain in lower back

N

Urgency of urination, especially during the nights

N

Infection of the urinary tract

N

Body aches

Sometimes acute prostatitis can be prostate biopsy complication.

Treatments

There are different stages of treatments available according to the various stages of the complexity. The treatment is given according to the severity of the acute prostatitis.

Diagnosis

Acute prostatitis is easier to diagnose, because of the clear symptoms. Since the symptoms can be diagnosed through testing the urine and blood and so urine tests and blood tests are conducted. These tests are conducted to find the bacteria in them. Sometimes it becomes a medical emergency and in such cases intravenous antibiotics are used, when needed. Blood tests are done to find the complete blood count.

N

Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment for bacterial prostatitis, typically continued for 2–4 weeks to fully eradicate the infection.

N

Severe cases – with fever, severe pain or signs of sepsis – may require hospitalisation, intravenous antibiotics, intravenous fluids, analgesia and stool softeners.

N

Asymptomatic Inflammatory Prostatitis

Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis is the inflammation resulted on the prostate gland. It becomes painless. The condition gets no infection or evidence. The main difference with the other condition is that it does result in the pain from the inflammation. It is usually found with the benign prostatic hyperplasia in men.

Signs and Symptoms

Since the patient does not experience with the pain, there would be no occurrence and complaints of the pain. The major symptom found is the leucocytosis and it happens, while the other conditions are evaluated.

Diagnosis

Although asymptomatic, this condition can be detected through different investigations. The tests that can be conducted are tests related to semen. This test can reveal the inflammation that causes no symptoms to pain. The test shows the condition of EPS (Expressed Prostatic Secretion) or Prostate Tissues.

Treatment

Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis can be treated possibly. The only medication that is given most usually to treat the condition is asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis is the antibiotic medication. So, the overall treatment of the prostatitis aims to minimize or control the symptoms, through the appropriate painkillers to relieve the pain.

Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis

Chronic bacterial prostatitis is the affect of the prostate gland with the bacterial infection. It is a rare condition that is occurred intermittently with the UTI or Urinary Tract Infection.

Signs and Symptoms

There might be no symptoms occurred until the bladder gets infected. After it is done, the symptoms of recurrent cystitis will be started.

Diagnosis

When there is prostate infection, it can be diagnosed through culturing the urine, along with the prostate fluid. It is performed through a rectal exam and pressurizing the prostate. Another way is semen analysis.

Treatment

Chronic bacterial prostatitis needs longer treatment to cure the medical condition.

N

The treatment starts with medicating with the antibiotics, which are given to well penetrate the prostate.

N

Prostate massage is also sometimes needed to be done during the antibiotics.

Dr. Anish Kumar Gupta has extensive experience in evaluating and treating prostatitis. He consults at North Delhi Nursing Home (Ashok Vihar), Jaipur Golden Hospital (Rohini) and Apollo Spectra (Karol Bagh).