Prevalence, diagnosis and treatment of prostatitis in Italy: a prospective urology outpatient practice study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To report a prospective, multicentre descriptive study designed to determine the prevalence of the diagnosis of prostatitis in male outpatients examined by urologists in Italy, and to further examine the diagnostic evaluation and treatment of patients identified with a clinical diagnosis of prostatitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between July 2001 and October 2001, 70 urologists, representing a cross‐section of urological centres in Italy, counted and recorded the overall total of men reported in the clinic and that of patients diagnosed with prostatitis over a 5‐week period. Data on demographics, previous diagnoses, symptoms, physical examination, laboratory data and therapy instituted were collected. Patients with a diagnosis of prostatitis completed questionnaires on symptom frequency and severity, and quality of life. RESULTS In all, 8503 patients were included in the primary outcome analysis; 1148 were identified with prostatitis (12.8%; mean age 47.1 years, range 16–83) with all age ranges equally represented, and 68% had had their first symptom within the last year. The most common presenting symptoms were severe, bothersome urinary frequency, obstructive voiding symptoms, perineal, suprapubic and penile pain or discomfort. The self‐administered questionnaire confirmed that the most frequently reported and most severe symptoms at the time of evaluation were irritative voiding symptoms, perineal and suprapubic pain and discomfort. Over three‐quarters of the patients were dissatisfied with their quality of life. While 98% of the patients had a digital rectal examination and expressed prostatic secretion was successfully recovered in 44%, < 3% of the patients had the traditional Meares‐Stamey four‐glass test. The most common treatment prescribed was drug therapy (not antibiotic). CONCLUSION The prevalence of a clinical diagnosis of prostatitis in urology outpatient practice in Italy was 12.8%. The prevalence, diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of prostatitis reported in this prospective study was very similar to that reported in other retrospective series from other countries.

An epidemiological study of patients with chronic prostatitis

“…However, patients with pain on urination, sexual discomfort, testis and glans pain only, accounted for about a fifth each, and all lower than reported in American populations [11], at 40%, 52%, 48% and 31%, respectively. Among an Italian population the symptoms of burning during micturition, ejaculatory pain or discomfort, testicular pain or discomfort, penile pain or discomfort were reported as 81.7%, 63.9%, 43.9%, and 55.2%, respectively [6]. Thus from these results we conclude primarily that most of the present patients had much less pain than reported in previous studies.…”

“…Prostatitis is a common disease among young men; Krieger et al [5] reported that 2-10% of men had prostatitis, and Rizzo et al [6] reported that the prevalence of a subclinical diagnosis of prostatitis in a urology outpatient practice in Italy was 12.8%. Mehik et al [7] reported that the overall lifetime prevalence of prostatitis was 14.2% in Finland.…”

Does Finasteride Have a Preventive Effect on Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis? Pilot Study Using an Animal Model

“…Although the proportion of prostatitis that is associated with a bacterial cause is known to be much less than that which has a non-bacterial etiology, 5-10% of patients with chronic prostatitis still show bacterial etiology [13] . In a study undertaken by urologists in Italy, the incidence of CBP was reported as being up to 30% of patients clinically diagnosed with prostatitis [14] .…”

Prostatitis-Like Symptoms: Diagnosis and Management in a Malaysian Primary Care Population

“…Limited information is available on diagnosis and treatment of prostatitis-like symptoms in primary care settings [5][6][7] , with very few studies in Asian populations. A 2003 survey using the validated National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) found that 8.7% of 20-to 50-year-old males in northern Malaysia suffered from chronic prostatitis-like symptoms [4] .…”

“…We could find no population-based data on the diagnosis and management of prostatitis-like symptoms in primary care in Asian populations. In this study we evaluated clinical practice patterns in our southeast Asian population, then compared these practice patterns to reported practices in Western populations [7,10] .…”