alternative therapy should be considered, based upon in vitro susceptibility tests of the most recent isolate.
Complications — Although most patients with acute prostatitis respond well to antibiotic therapy, a variety of complications can occur, including bacteremia, epididymitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis (see below), and prostatic abscess. Prostatic abscess should be suspected when clinical and laboratory abnormalities persist despite appropriate antimicrobial therapy. The diagnosis of abscess is made by prostate ultrasonography or by computed tomography (CT) scan [21]. Transrectal prostatic ultrasonography is only indicated in acute prostatitis if prostatic abscess is suspected [22].
Although the clinical presentation of prostatic abscess can be confused with other diseases of the prostate, the incidence of prostatic abscess is currently low with the use of appropriate antibiotic therapy. Published case series of prostatic abscess since 1976 have fewer than five patients each, as compared with literature from the 1960s, which included dozens of patients in each of several studies [23]. Urology referral for surgical drainage is indicated if an abscess is persistent after one week or more of therapy.
Bacterial prostatitis and HIV infection — Bacterial prostatitis occurs more frequently in patients with HIV infection than in the general population [24]. Why this occurs is not clear. Anal sex does not seem to be the main triggering factor, since heterosexual men with HIV infection caused by drug abuse are similarly affected.
Signs and symptoms of acute prostatitis in these patients are identical to those described above. There are, however, some differences from the disease seen in non-HIV infected individuals:
• Various gram-negative organisms have been identified, but some cases are due to unusual organisms, such as Haemophilus parainfluenzae [25].
• Prostate abscess formation, though rare, appears to be more common in HIV-infected men [26]. It is seldom diagnosed until the patient has failed a trial of antimicrobial therapy.
• Acute episodes respond favorably to antibiotics, but relapses occur frequently after discontinuation.
The prostate may serve as an asymptomatic reservoir for recurrent infection by certain organisms, such as Cryptococcus neoformans. In one series of AIDS patients, cryptococci were isolated from prostatic secretions at a time when they were not retrieved from blood or cerebrospinal fluid [27].
CHRONIC BACTERIAL PROSTATITIS — Chronic bacterial prostatitis may present as a complication of acute prostatitis, or in the absence of previously recognized initial infection. The diagnosis should be considered in men who have dysuria and frequency in the absence of the signs of acute prostatitis, in those with recurrent urinary tract infections in the absence of bladder catheterization, and in the setting of incidental bacteriuria. In a study of 38 men with recurrent UTIs, for example, about one-half had evidence of infection localized to the prostate (demonstrated by comparing cultures of urine and expressed prostatic secretions) [11].
Gram-negative rods are the most common etiologic agent, with Escherichia coli causing approximately 75 to 80 percent of episodes [28]. Other organisms, including enterococci, gram-negative rods (other than E. coli), and Chlamydia trachomatis have also been associated with chronic infection. Fastidious organisms also play an important role in chronic prostatitis. In a series of 597 patients with chronic prostatitis, for example, Ureaplasma urealyticum was detected using quantitative determination of expressed prostatic secretions and urine voided after prostatic massage from 13 percent of patients. Rarely, fungi or Mycobacterium tuberculosis may be involved [29].
Clinical presentation — Chronic bacterial prostatitis has more subtle clinical findings than acute prostatitis. Patients may be asymptomatic or have complaints typical of a lower urinary tract infection, such as frequency, dysuria, urgency, perineal discomfort, and perhaps a low-grade fever. In some cases, the diagnosis may be suspected by the incidental finding of bacteriuria. Sexual dysfunction may accompany chronic bacterial prostatitis [30]. Rectal examination may demonstrate prostatic hypertrophy, tenderness, and edema, but is frequently normal.
Diagnosis — The diagnosis of chronic prostatitis can be made by analyzing specimens obtained following prostatic massage for leukocytes and bacteria. The periurethral area is cleaned and four samples are taken -- the so-called four-glass test [28]. The initial 5 to 10 mL (VB1) and a midstream specimen (VB2) are obtained for quantitative culture. The patient should stop voiding before the bladder is empty and the prostate should then be massaged. Any prostatic secretions that are expressed (EPS) should be cultured and have a leukocyte count performed, as well as the first 5 to 10 mL of subsequently voided urine (VB3) (figure 1). (See "Urine sampling and culture in the diagnosis of urinary tract infection in adults".)
For the test to be interpretable, the colony count in VB2 must be less than 103/mL, since bladder bacteriuria prevents identification of the frequently small number of organisms from the prostate. Chronic prostatitis is suspected when VB3 has more than 12 leukocytes per high power field; more than 20 leukocytes per high power field is almost diagnostic unless leukocytes were also present in VB2 [12].
Cultures of urine or expressed prostatic secretions are almost always positive in chronic bacterial prostatitis (table 1). However, negative cultures do not necessarily exclude the possibility of bacterial prostatitis. One study found that some patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis had positive cultures of prostate tissue despite negative cultures of expressed prostatic fluid [31].
Although the four-glass test is described extensively in the literature, it is not clear that it is frequently used in practice. In one survey of urologists in which 64 percent responded, 33 and 47 percent, respectively, said that they never or rarely performed the four-glass test [32]. Furthermore, the results of the test apparently did not influence the use of antibiotics, since urologists who used the test routinely did not differ in antibiotic prescribing from others who used it less often.
Ultrasonography may also be useful for evaluation of prostatitis sequelae, including prostatic abscess (see 'Complications' above) and prostatic calcification [33].
Chlamydia infection — Although it has not been clearly established that Chlamydia trachomatis can cause chronic bacterial prostatitis, it is thought to be a possible cause in cases in which routine cultures are negative. Chlamydial genital infections are common and may involve the epididymis and the urethra. C. trachomatis has been isolated from the prostate, and there is some evidence that it resides in prostate tissue rather than being brought along with other urethral contaminants [34,35]. Cultures for Chlamydia or other unusual pathogens are seldom obtained until a thorough diagnostic workup has been completed. Culturing for C. trachomatis is beyond the capacity of most laboratories because of the technical demands involved. On the other hand, diagnostic tests to look for chlamydial antigens or nucleic acids have been developed and these tests can easily be done on genital secretions or urine. Because these tests are highly sensitive and specific, they may be able to settle the question of whether C. trachomatis causes prostatitis if the tests can be performed on prostate tissue and show positive results when Chlamydia are not found in urine or other genital secretions. (See "Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections in men".)
Treatment — Selection of agents for and duration of therapy for chronic prostatitis have not been studied using comparative trials. In case series, there has been a general sense that various fluoroquinolone regimens (eg, ciprofloxacin 500 mg PO every 12 hours or levofloxacin 500 mg PO daily) have a satisfactory outcome in about two-thirds of patients who can tolerate them for four weeks or longer. Failures of therapy appear to be related to underlying prostate disease, infecting agent, incomplete adherence, drug interactions that reduce fluoroquinolone bioavailability, or to some other less understood component. (See "Fluoroquinolones", section on 'Drug interactions'.)
Recurrences of chronic bacterial prostatitis are common and are generally treated with a second course of antibiotics. If the first course was less than six weeks, a longer second course is recommended, preferably with an antibiotic from a different class with efficacy against usual pathogens responsible for prostatitis (eg, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole); in some cases, a second course of a fluoroquinolone can be given. Courses exceeding four weeks should also be considered in patients who have previously failed treatment, who have a relatively difficult to treat organism, or who cannot tolerate first line therapy and need other agents. In patients requiring an extended course of antibiotics due to relapse or failure to respond to a course of a fluoroquinolone, causes of impaired bioavailability of the fluoroquinolone should be sought (see "Fluoroquinolones", section on 'Drug interactions'). Tendinitis and tendon rupture are important adverse effects that have been reported in patients requiring prolonged fluoroquinolone therapy, especially in patients >60 years of age [36]. Among patients in this age group, those receiving glucocorticoids are at the highest risk. (see "Fluoroquinolones", section on 'Tendinopathy and tendon rupture'). In patients with pelvic pain syndromes in whom there is no evidence of prostatic inflammation or infection, the success rate of any antimicrobial therapy is much lower.
C. trachomatis infection can be treated with doxycycline, minocycline, or azithromycin [37,38], but use of these drugs in prostatic infections is not reported separately. One study compared azithromycin (500 mg daily for three days each week for three weeks) with ciprofloxacin (500 mg twice daily for 20 days) in 89 patients with chronic prostatitis and laboratory evidence of C. trachomatis infection [39]. The rate of bacterial eradication and clinical cure was significantly higher among the patients treated with azithromycin.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis often recurs and is usually treated with a second course of antibiotics. A fluoroquinolone is once again the treatment of choice. One report, for example, evaluated 33 patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis who had failed therapy with trimethoprim, TMP-SMX, or norfloxacin; the patients were retreated with ciprofloxacin (500 mg twice daily) for two to four weeks [40]. The following results were noted:
• Of 26 patients with E. coli as the pathogen, 17 were cured at greater than one year follow-up. In another two, a second treatment course with ciprofloxacin was successful. Two patients withdrew from therapy due to adverse drug reactions.
• Therapy was successful in two of five with pathogens other than E. coli.
In another report, 15 patients refractory to TMP-SMX and/or carbenicillin were treated with norfloxacin (400 mg twice daily) for 28 days. Of the 14 patients followed for at least six months, nine (64 percent) infected with E. coli were cured [41]. Similar results have been noted in other studies [42].
INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS — UpToDate offers two types of patient education materials, "The Basics" and "Beyond the Basics." The Basics patient education pieces are written in plain language, at the 5th to 6th grade reading level, and they answer the four or five key questions a patient might have about a given condition. These articles are best for patients who want a general overview and who prefer short, easy-to-read materials. Beyond the Basics patient education pieces are longer, more sophisticated, and more detailed. These articles are written at the 10th to 12th grade reading level and are best for patients who want in-depth information and are comfortable with some medical jargon.
Here are the patient education articles that are relevant to this topic. We encourage you to print or e-mail these topics to your patients. (You can also locate patient education articles on a variety of subjects by searching on "patient info" and the keyword(s) of interest.)
• Basics topic (see "Patient information: Prostatitis (The Basics)")
ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVE ON THE TREATMENT OF BACTERIAL PROSTATITIS — As noted above, it is frequently difficult to distinguish which patients with chronic symptoms actually have chronic bacterial prostatitis. A group of urologists in Canada utilized leukocyte counts, cultures, and antibody determinations for common uropathogens before and after prostatic massage to try to differentiate among these patients and then treated all with ofloxacin (300 mg PO twice daily for 12 weeks) [43]. Fifty-seven percent of the 102 patients reported a moderate to marked improvement in symptoms which did not correlate with any of the measures of bacterial infection. The authors
Complications — Although most patients with acute prostatitis respond well to antibiotic therapy, a variety of complications can occur, including bacteremia, epididymitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis (see below), and prostatic abscess. Prostatic abscess should be suspected when clinical and laboratory abnormalities persist despite appropriate antimicrobial therapy. The diagnosis of abscess is made by prostate ultrasonography or by computed tomography (CT) scan [21]. Transrectal prostatic ultrasonography is only indicated in acute prostatitis if prostatic abscess is suspected [22].
Although the clinical presentation of prostatic abscess can be confused with other diseases of the prostate, the incidence of prostatic abscess is currently low with the use of appropriate antibiotic therapy. Published case series of prostatic abscess since 1976 have fewer than five patients each, as compared with literature from the 1960s, which included dozens of patients in each of several studies [23]. Urology referral for surgical drainage is indicated if an abscess is persistent after one week or more of therapy.
Bacterial prostatitis and HIV infection — Bacterial prostatitis occurs more frequently in patients with HIV infection than in the general population [24]. Why this occurs is not clear. Anal sex does not seem to be the main triggering factor, since heterosexual men with HIV infection caused by drug abuse are similarly affected.
Signs and symptoms of acute prostatitis in these patients are identical to those described above. There are, however, some differences from the disease seen in non-HIV infected individuals:
• Various gram-negative organisms have been identified, but some cases are due to unusual organisms, such as Haemophilus parainfluenzae [25].
• Prostate abscess formation, though rare, appears to be more common in HIV-infected men [26]. It is seldom diagnosed until the patient has failed a trial of antimicrobial therapy.
• Acute episodes respond favorably to antibiotics, but relapses occur frequently after discontinuation.
The prostate may serve as an asymptomatic reservoir for recurrent infection by certain organisms, such as Cryptococcus neoformans. In one series of AIDS patients, cryptococci were isolated from prostatic secretions at a time when they were not retrieved from blood or cerebrospinal fluid [27].
CHRONIC BACTERIAL PROSTATITIS — Chronic bacterial prostatitis may present as a complication of acute prostatitis, or in the absence of previously recognized initial infection. The diagnosis should be considered in men who have dysuria and frequency in the absence of the signs of acute prostatitis, in those with recurrent urinary tract infections in the absence of bladder catheterization, and in the setting of incidental bacteriuria. In a study of 38 men with recurrent UTIs, for example, about one-half had evidence of infection localized to the prostate (demonstrated by comparing cultures of urine and expressed prostatic secretions) [11].
Gram-negative rods are the most common etiologic agent, with Escherichia coli causing approximately 75 to 80 percent of episodes [28]. Other organisms, including enterococci, gram-negative rods (other than E. coli), and Chlamydia trachomatis have also been associated with chronic infection. Fastidious organisms also play an important role in chronic prostatitis. In a series of 597 patients with chronic prostatitis, for example, Ureaplasma urealyticum was detected using quantitative determination of expressed prostatic secretions and urine voided after prostatic massage from 13 percent of patients. Rarely, fungi or Mycobacterium tuberculosis may be involved [29].
Clinical presentation — Chronic bacterial prostatitis has more subtle clinical findings than acute prostatitis. Patients may be asymptomatic or have complaints typical of a lower urinary tract infection, such as frequency, dysuria, urgency, perineal discomfort, and perhaps a low-grade fever. In some cases, the diagnosis may be suspected by the incidental finding of bacteriuria. Sexual dysfunction may accompany chronic bacterial prostatitis [30]. Rectal examination may demonstrate prostatic hypertrophy, tenderness, and edema, but is frequently normal.
Diagnosis — The diagnosis of chronic prostatitis can be made by analyzing specimens obtained following prostatic massage for leukocytes and bacteria. The periurethral area is cleaned and four samples are taken -- the so-called four-glass test [28]. The initial 5 to 10 mL (VB1) and a midstream specimen (VB2) are obtained for quantitative culture. The patient should stop voiding before the bladder is empty and the prostate should then be massaged. Any prostatic secretions that are expressed (EPS) should be cultured and have a leukocyte count performed, as well as the first 5 to 10 mL of subsequently voided urine (VB3) (figure 1). (See "Urine sampling and culture in the diagnosis of urinary tract infection in adults".)
For the test to be interpretable, the colony count in VB2 must be less than 103/mL, since bladder bacteriuria prevents identification of the frequently small number of organisms from the prostate. Chronic prostatitis is suspected when VB3 has more than 12 leukocytes per high power field; more than 20 leukocytes per high power field is almost diagnostic unless leukocytes were also present in VB2 [12].
Cultures of urine or expressed prostatic secretions are almost always positive in chronic bacterial prostatitis (table 1). However, negative cultures do not necessarily exclude the possibility of bacterial prostatitis. One study found that some patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis had positive cultures of prostate tissue despite negative cultures of expressed prostatic fluid [31].
Although the four-glass test is described extensively in the literature, it is not clear that it is frequently used in practice. In one survey of urologists in which 64 percent responded, 33 and 47 percent, respectively, said that they never or rarely performed the four-glass test [32]. Furthermore, the results of the test apparently did not influence the use of antibiotics, since urologists who used the test routinely did not differ in antibiotic prescribing from others who used it less often.
Ultrasonography may also be useful for evaluation of prostatitis sequelae, including prostatic abscess (see 'Complications' above) and prostatic calcification [33].
Chlamydia infection — Although it has not been clearly established that Chlamydia trachomatis can cause chronic bacterial prostatitis, it is thought to be a possible cause in cases in which routine cultures are negative. Chlamydial genital infections are common and may involve the epididymis and the urethra. C. trachomatis has been isolated from the prostate, and there is some evidence that it resides in prostate tissue rather than being brought along with other urethral contaminants [34,35]. Cultures for Chlamydia or other unusual pathogens are seldom obtained until a thorough diagnostic workup has been completed. Culturing for C. trachomatis is beyond the capacity of most laboratories because of the technical demands involved. On the other hand, diagnostic tests to look for chlamydial antigens or nucleic acids have been developed and these tests can easily be done on genital secretions or urine. Because these tests are highly sensitive and specific, they may be able to settle the question of whether C. trachomatis causes prostatitis if the tests can be performed on prostate tissue and show positive results when Chlamydia are not found in urine or other genital secretions. (See "Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections in men".)
Treatment — Selection of agents for and duration of therapy for chronic prostatitis have not been studied using comparative trials. In case series, there has been a general sense that various fluoroquinolone regimens (eg, ciprofloxacin 500 mg PO every 12 hours or levofloxacin 500 mg PO daily) have a satisfactory outcome in about two-thirds of patients who can tolerate them for four weeks or longer. Failures of therapy appear to be related to underlying prostate disease, infecting agent, incomplete adherence, drug interactions that reduce fluoroquinolone bioavailability, or to some other less understood component. (See "Fluoroquinolones", section on 'Drug interactions'.)
Recurrences of chronic bacterial prostatitis are common and are generally treated with a second course of antibiotics. If the first course was less than six weeks, a longer second course is recommended, preferably with an antibiotic from a different class with efficacy against usual pathogens responsible for prostatitis (eg, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole); in some cases, a second course of a fluoroquinolone can be given. Courses exceeding four weeks should also be considered in patients who have previously failed treatment, who have a relatively difficult to treat organism, or who cannot tolerate first line therapy and need other agents. In patients requiring an extended course of antibiotics due to relapse or failure to respond to a course of a fluoroquinolone, causes of impaired bioavailability of the fluoroquinolone should be sought (see "Fluoroquinolones", section on 'Drug interactions'). Tendinitis and tendon rupture are important adverse effects that have been reported in patients requiring prolonged fluoroquinolone therapy, especially in patients >60 years of age [36]. Among patients in this age group, those receiving glucocorticoids are at the highest risk. (see "Fluoroquinolones", section on 'Tendinopathy and tendon rupture'). In patients with pelvic pain syndromes in whom there is no evidence of prostatic inflammation or infection, the success rate of any antimicrobial therapy is much lower.
C. trachomatis infection can be treated with doxycycline, minocycline, or azithromycin [37,38], but use of these drugs in prostatic infections is not reported separately. One study compared azithromycin (500 mg daily for three days each week for three weeks) with ciprofloxacin (500 mg twice daily for 20 days) in 89 patients with chronic prostatitis and laboratory evidence of C. trachomatis infection [39]. The rate of bacterial eradication and clinical cure was significantly higher among the patients treated with azithromycin.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis often recurs and is usually treated with a second course of antibiotics. A fluoroquinolone is once again the treatment of choice. One report, for example, evaluated 33 patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis who had failed therapy with trimethoprim, TMP-SMX, or norfloxacin; the patients were retreated with ciprofloxacin (500 mg twice daily) for two to four weeks [40]. The following results were noted:
• Of 26 patients with E. coli as the pathogen, 17 were cured at greater than one year follow-up. In another two, a second treatment course with ciprofloxacin was successful. Two patients withdrew from therapy due to adverse drug reactions.
• Therapy was successful in two of five with pathogens other than E. coli.
In another report, 15 patients refractory to TMP-SMX and/or carbenicillin were treated with norfloxacin (400 mg twice daily) for 28 days. Of the 14 patients followed for at least six months, nine (64 percent) infected with E. coli were cured [41]. Similar results have been noted in other studies [42].
INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS — UpToDate offers two types of patient education materials, "The Basics" and "Beyond the Basics." The Basics patient education pieces are written in plain language, at the 5th to 6th grade reading level, and they answer the four or five key questions a patient might have about a given condition. These articles are best for patients who want a general overview and who prefer short, easy-to-read materials. Beyond the Basics patient education pieces are longer, more sophisticated, and more detailed. These articles are written at the 10th to 12th grade reading level and are best for patients who want in-depth information and are comfortable with some medical jargon.
Here are the patient education articles that are relevant to this topic. We encourage you to print or e-mail these topics to your patients. (You can also locate patient education articles on a variety of subjects by searching on "patient info" and the keyword(s) of interest.)
• Basics topic (see "Patient information: Prostatitis (The Basics)")
ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVE ON THE TREATMENT OF BACTERIAL PROSTATITIS — As noted above, it is frequently difficult to distinguish which patients with chronic symptoms actually have chronic bacterial prostatitis. A group of urologists in Canada utilized leukocyte counts, cultures, and antibody determinations for common uropathogens before and after prostatic massage to try to differentiate among these patients and then treated all with ofloxacin (300 mg PO twice daily for 12 weeks) [43]. Fifty-seven percent of the 102 patients reported a moderate to marked improvement in symptoms which did not correlate with any of the measures of bacterial infection. The authors