Chronic Prostatitis and Urethritis

Cho, In Rae; Kim, Gyung Jong

Abstract

PURPOSE: It is generally believed that chronic prostatitis is initiated by urethritis. However in actual clinical situations, many male patients without histories of urethritis present with prostatitis. To evaluate the possible relationship, we reviewed of patients with chronic prostatitis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
326 consecutive patients with prostatitis were reviewed retrospectively on: duration of prostatitis, any history of urethritis, and history of intercourse including incidents with a high risk partner (eg. prostitutes). Prostatic ultrasonographic findings and voiding symptoms were compared with history of urethritis.
RESULTS
A history of urethritis was found in 228 (70%) of patients, but 36 (11%) denied both sexual intercourse and urethritis. In 62 (19%) patients, there was no history of urethritis but there existed a sexual encounter with a high risk partner. There is no statistically difference between the history of urethritis and the duration of prostatitis, the prostatic ultrasonographic findings, and voiding symptoms. Therefore no significant relationship between urethritis and chronic prostatitis was found.
CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that having urethritis is not an important risk factor in chronic prostatitis. These studies may be comforting to those who are inflicted with chronic prostatitis and concerned with the nature of the disease. Thus chronic prostatitis can be explained as an inflammation of the prostate, not a dreadful end result of sexually transmitted disease.