Clinical Roundup: Selected Treatment Options for Chronic Prostatitis

Prostatitis is a condition in which the prostate gland becomes inflamed, either as a result of a bacterial infection, decreased immune function, or a reduction in muscle-related function that affects 9% of males. Prostatitis represents a mix of conditions, including acute prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), which accounts for the majority of the cases. CP/CPPS is a diagnosis of exclusion after eliminating active urethritis, urogenital cancer, urinary-tract disease, urethral stricture, or neurologic disease affecting the bladder as a possible diagnosis. Common symptoms include urologic pain, or discomfort in the pelvic region, associated with urinary symptoms and/ or sexual dysfunction, lasting for at least 3 of the previous 6 months. Symptoms of CP/CPPS can diminish quality of life (QoL) and impair physical and psychologic function.1 The sections below describe how I treat patients with prostatitis.