Signs, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment For Asymptomatic Inflammatory Prostatitis

The fourth category of prostatitis is Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis. It is a symptomless microscopic condition of the prostate gland. It should be distinguished from other forms of prostatitis such as chronic bacterial prostatitis, acute bacterial prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS).

Signs and Symptoms

These patients have no history of genitourinary pain complaints, but leukocytosis is noted, usually during evaluation for other conditions.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is through tests of semen, EPS or prostate tissue that reveal inflammation in the absence of symptoms.

Prostate Treatment

No treatment required. It is standard practice for men with infertility and category IV prostatitis to be given a trial of antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatories however evidence for efficacy are weak. Since signs of asymptomatic prostatic inflammation may sometimes be associated with prostate cancer, this can be addressed by tests that assess the ratio of free-to-total PSA. The results of these tests were significantly different in prostate cancer and category IV prostatitis in one study.