Increased intraprostatic pressure in patients with chronic prostatitis

The purpose of this prospective study was to develop a method for measuring intraprostatic pressure. Intraprostatic, extraprostatic and perineal subcu taneous pressures were measured in 43 patients. Twenty-four patients had ch ronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP) and prostatic hyperplasia (group A), 1 0 patients had benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (group B) and 9 patients served as controls (group C). The pressure measurements were performed with a Stryker pressure monitor under transrectal ultrasonographic control at t hree different points: perineal subcutaneous tissue, paraprostatic tissue a nd the apex of the prostate beneath the capsule. Significantly higher intra prostatic pressure values(P < 0.001) were recorded in the patients with CNP compared with the BPH patients or the controls. We conclude that this nove l method of measuring intraprostatic pressure, which has not been reported earlier, could be a new tool in the diagnosis of CNP and in the evaluation of the therapeutic effects of the different treatment modalities used in CN P.