Definition of ProstatitisProstatitis: Inflammation of the prostate gland, a very common health concern, accounting for up to 25% of all
medical office visits by young and middle-age men for problems
relating to the genital and urinary systems.
The prostate is a small organ about the size of a walnut that is
situated below the bladder (where urine is stored) and surrounds the
urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder). The prostate
normally produces a fluid that becomes part of the semen, the white
fluid that contains the sperm.
There are 4 types of prostatitis:
- Acute bacterial prostatitis is the least common type. It
often causes chills, fever, pain in the lower back and genital area,
body aches, burning or painful urination, and the frequent and urgent
need to urinate. The urinary tract is infected, witness the white
blood cells and bacteria in the urine. Treatment is with antibiotics.
- Chronic bacterial prostatitis is also relatively
uncommon. It is acute prostatitis superimposed on a defect in the
prostate, which becomes the focal point for the persistent bacterial
infection. Effective treatment requires identification and correction
of the defect in the prostate and then antibiotics.
- Nonbacterial prostatitis is the most common and least
understood form of prostatitis. It is a chronic, painful condition.
Symptoms go away and then come back without warning. The urine and
fluid from the prostate show no evidence of a known infecting
organism, but the semen and other fluids from the prostate contain
cells that the body usually produces to fight infection. Treatment
with antibiotics and drugs that relax the muscles of the prostate
gland often fails. This form of prostatitis can be associated with
other diseases, such as Reiter syndrome.
- Prostatodynia is similar to nonbacterial
prostatitis with regard to symptoms, age of patients, and
ineffectiveness of treatment. However, there are no objective
findings, such as the presence of infection-fighting cells, in the
urine of men who suffer from prostatodynia.
 Last Editorial Review: 3/26/1998 2:28:00 PMCommon Misspellings: prostatitus, prostitis, prostitus
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