Sexual Health | Bacterial STIs and related conditions | Prostatitis and Male Pelvic Pain

Prostatitis and Male Pelvic Pain
Session Overview
Description
This session describes the presentation of acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Diagnose chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) in males
• Describe the most likely cause of CPPS in men attending sexual health departments – increased pelvic floor tone - and how contributing factors may exacerbate symptoms
• Specify how to use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) prostatitis symptom index, and state its place in management of CPPS
• Make a differential diagnosis of CPPS
• Devise management strategies for patients diagnosed with CPPS
• Recognise when to refer a patient to other specialties

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should complete:

• Module 3 / Acute and Chronic Non-specific Urethritis: Specialist Management (260-0038)
• Module 3 / Urinary Tract Infections (260-0049)

'Prostatitis' is a somewhat-outdated term used to describe a range of clinical syndromes, from acute bacterial infection of the prostate to chronic pelvic pain.

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) in men is an important and common condition in genitourinary medicine (GUM). It is the most common presentation of the 'prostatitis' syndromes, with a prevalence of 8.2% (range 2.2–9.7%). [1](read details regarding the reference) [2](read details regarding the reference) [3](read details regarding the reference)

The terms CPPS and chronic prostatitis (CP) are often used interchangeably to describe a syndrome which causes perineal and genital pain that can be unrelenting and physically, as well as emotionally, exhausting. [1](read details regarding the reference) [2](read details regarding the reference) [3](read details regarding the reference) [4](read details regarding the reference)

The median age of patients affected is 43 years and the syndrome is usually of sudden onset [1](read details regarding the reference) [2](read details regarding the reference), though classically CPPS is only diagnosed when symptoms have been present for at least three months of the last six months [1](read details regarding the reference) [2](read details regarding the reference) [3](read details regarding the reference) [4](read details regarding the reference). Earlier identification is likely to be possible in some patients, and may be associated with improved outcomes for patients. [3](read details regarding the reference) [4](read details regarding the reference) [6](read details regarding the reference)

Acute prostatitis, however, is defined as a bacterial infection of the prostate gland, and is an uncommon condition in GUM.