Bacterial Prostatitis

Prostatitis is perhaps the most common urologic complaint in men younger than 50 years of age and affects 11% to 16% of American men over the course of their lifetimes. Prostatitis syndromes have a significant psychologic impact upon patients who suffer from them and place an enormous financial strain upon the health care system. Despite many advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of prostatitis, current management strategies are unable to provide a significant portion of relief from symptoms. In this article, we focus on bacterial prostatitis (types I and II), with an emphasis on new understandings of pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment strategies for these often challenging patients.