PROSTATITIS - US PERSPECTIVE

The diagnosis and management of prostatitis syndromes is a challenge t o the clinician. Careful history and examination of the prostate fluid and quantitative segmented bacteriologic cultures will lead to proper categorization into the recognized forms of the prostatitis syndrome. Antimicrobial therapy is effective in the majority of men with acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP). Fluoroquinolone agents appear to have an increasingly important role in this regard, although a ran domized, prospective, double-blind study is still lacking. Alpha-1-sel ective blocking agents may relieve symptomatology of chronic pelvis pa in syndrome (CPPS). Other non-prostatic sources of voiding symptoms sh ould be sought and ruled out, especially malignancy or inflammatory di sorders. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V./International Society of Chemo therapy. All rights reserved.