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Treatment of chronic prostatitis

Nature Clinical Practice Urology volume 1, pages 2–3 (2004)Cite this article

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a common but poorly understood condition. Previously known as 'non-bacterial' prostatitis, CP/CPPS is the most common clinical prostatitis syndrome. Despite this, it is defined only by symptoms—objective tests have failed to clearly define a subset of patients so that etiology can be determined, natural history predicted, and therapy targeted. Current opinions about the cause of CP/CPPS are plagued by assumptions that have been accepted simply because more compelling explanations have not emerged. But new insights arising from recent studies are challenging these long-held beliefs.

CP/CPPS is principally defined as pain in a man's pelvic region that persists for at least 3 months. This primary symptom is often accompanied by voiding difficulties and effects on sexual function, usually pain related to ejaculation.1 As might be expected in light of this broad and vague definition, CP/CPPS is a commonly diagnosed problem—estimates from outpatient surveys indicate that 2 million men seek treatment for CP/CPPS each year in the US.2 Symptoms tend to be episodic, relapsing and intermittent, which further complicates the efficacy of therapeutic interventions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Urology in the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System,

    Richard B Alexander

  2. Urology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine,

    Richard B Alexander

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  1. Richard B Alexander
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Correspondence to Richard B Alexander.

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Alexander, R. Treatment of chronic prostatitis. Nat Rev Urol 1, 2–3 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpuro0003

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