PROSTATITIS

Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate gland. Prostatitis is classified into acute, chronic, asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis , and chronic pelvic pain syndrome. It may occur as an appropriate physiological response to an infection, or it may occur in the absence of infection. The conditions are distinguished by the different presentation of pain, white blood cells (WBCs) in the urine, duration of symptoms and bacteria cultured from the urine. Prostatitis can be caused by bacteria that leak into the prostate gland from the urinary tract (the most common bacterial cause) and from direct extension or lymphatic spread from the rectum.