ANTIMICROBIAL TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC PROSTATITIS AS A MEANS OF DEFINING THE ROLE OF UREAPLASMA-UREALYTICUM

A study was conducted to assess the clinical and microbiological effec ts of antimicrobial treatment for chronic prostatitis as a means of de fining the role of Ureaplasma urealyticum. Significant U. urealyticum cells were considered to be isolated from the prostates of 18 of 143 p rostatitis patients. These patients with ureaplasma-associated prostat itis were randomly treated with either ofloxacin or minocycline for 2 weeks; 4 patients were excluded due to voluntary withdrawal. U. urealy ticum was eradicated in all the patients. Symptoms were resolved in 10 patients, and leukocytes in expressed prostatic secretion were cleare d in 4 patients; both drug treatments revealed similar results. Even i f we exclude 3 patients with significant coexistent Staphylococcus epi dermidis cells before treatment, 3 of 11 patients evaluated showed com plete resolution of symptoms and clearance of leukocytes in expressed prostatic fluid. These results suggest that U. urealyticum is a causat ive organism in some patients with chronic prostatitis.