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Prostatitis
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Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate, the walnut-shaped gland of the male reproductive tract, and sometimes of the tissue around it as well. It usually hurts: the prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that becomes inflamed and painful.
When prostatitis is bacterial, that is, caused by a microbe, the one that shows up most often in the urine is Escherichia coli. The acute form is uncommon, and when it does occur it is usually accompanied by an obstruction at the bladder outlet or by immunosuppression, meaning weakened defenses.
But not all prostatitis is an infection. In the inflammatory form of chronic pelvic pain syndrome there is usually no conclusive evidence of infection, even though the discomfort is there.
In brief
Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate, the walnut-shaped male gland, and sometimes of the surrounding tissue; it usually hurts.
It is a walnut-shaped gland that becomes inflamed and hurts.
When it is bacterial, the most common isolate in the urine is Escherichia coli; the acute form is rare and is often associated with bladder outlet obstruction or immunosuppression.
Not all prostatitis is infectious: in the inflammatory form of chronic pelvic pain syndrome there is usually no conclusive evidence of infection.
Sources (3)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesProstatitis: Inflammation of the Prostate
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingAcute Bacterial Prostatitis, StatPearlsPublished
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingChronic Prostatitis and Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome in Men, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated