M. Leskinen et al., Effects of finasteride in patients with inflammatory chronic pelvic pain syndrome: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot study, UROLOGY, 53(3), 1999, pp. 502-505
Objectives. To investigate whether treatment of inflammatory chronic pelvic
pain syndrome (ICPPS) with finasteride has any influence on symptoms assoc
iated with ICPPS.
Methods. Forty-one patients with ICPPS were randomized (1:3) to treatment w
ith either placebo (25%, n = 10) or finasteride 5 mg daily (75%, n = 31) fo
r 12 months. Efficacy was evaluated by analysis of symptomatic improvement
through responses to symptom questionnaires, pain evaluation on an analytic
al visual scale, analgesic use as reported in patient diaries, urine flow a
nd residual volume, and prostate volume.
Results. Prostatitis Symptom Severity Index and prostatism scores dropped s
ignificantly in patients in the finasteride group (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05,
respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in pain
between the groups. There were significant differences in the changes of pr
ostate volume and in serum prostate-specific antigen concentrations between
the finasteride and placebo groups (P < 0.03 and P < 0.02, respectively).
The groups did not differ with regard to side effects.
Conclusions. Our results indicate that finasteride has an effect in ICPPS.
The mechanisms by which finasteride works in these patients are unclear and
could not be solved in this pilot study, which had relatively few patients
. A further trial with larger numbers is required to confirm these results.
(C) 1999, Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.