Bacteriological and serological study of chronic prostatitis patients.

Chronic prostatitis is not uncommon in men over 50 years, though it can occur at any age. The organisms most commonly isolated from the prostatic secretion are staphylococci, streptococci, coliform bacilli, and diphtheroids. Nickel (1930) in 3,500 cultures found streptococci in 38 per cent., staphylococci in 54 per cent., bacilli in 24 per cent., and diphtheroids and diplobacilli in 9 per cent. Ritter and Lippow (1938) studied 131 cases and isolated streptococci in 54, staphylococci in 27, other cocci in 18, colon bacilli in four, diphtheroids in 22, and no organisms in six. Cumming and Chittenden (1938), in a series of 175 cases, isolated staphylococci in 50 per cent., colon bacilli in 30 per cent., streptococci in 5 per cent., gonococci in 5 per cent., diphtheroids in 2 per cent., and no organisms in 8 per cent. The role of N. gonorrhoeae is not agreed upon. Cumming and Chittenden stated that at least 75 per cent. of patients with prostatic infection have had gonorrhoea in the recent or remote past, but Wesson (1938) remarked that the incrimination of gonococci as a common cause of prostatitis was questionable; in his opinion non-specific prostatitis was generally present at the time of contraction of gonorrhoeal urethritis, and this antecedent infection persisted after the gonococci had disappeared. Kretschmer, Berkey, Heckel, and Ockuly (1937) found only 24 cases of gonorrhoeal infection in 1,000 patients with chronic prostatitis. According to Pelouze (1939) 95 per cent. of cases of chronic prostatitis were secondary to infections elsewhere in the body, the most common primary foci being the teeth and tonsils; he also stated that 35 per cent. of all men over 50 years have chronic prostatitis and that in 95 per cent. dental infection was the primary focus of the prostatic infection. The infection may be related to prolonged congestion which may cause a fertile field for bacterial invasion. Chronic urethral infections may easily pass directly into the prostatic ducts. Invasion of the