Chronic bacterial prostatitis

Chronic bacterial prostatitis is a bacterial infection of prostate gland. It is not the same thing as acute bacterial prostatitis.

Chronic bacterial prostatitis happens to be an extremely rare condition. Often symptoms are completely absent until the bladder infection occurs. E-coli bacteria are found to be responsible in most of the cases. The most serious and troublesome complication is recurring cystitis.

In chronic bacterial prostatitis there are bacteria in the prostate and most often there are no symptoms of infection. The prostate infection is diagnosed by testing urine for culture and EPS obtained during rectal prostate examination. EPS stands for expressed prostatic secretions. If no fluid can be collected during rectal exam then post exam urine is collected and examined, it should contain prostatic bacteria.

Treatment of the chronic bacterial prostatitis requires extended courses of antibiotic therapy. Antibiotics that are good at penetrating the prostate should be used (quinolones (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin), sulfas (Bactrim, Septra) and macrolides (erythromycin, clarithromycin). Courses last 4 to 6 weeks. Persistent infections can be successfully treated by using alpha blockers or long term antibiotic treatment. If infection keeps coming back it can be caused by inefficient urination, prostatic stones or any anatomical abnormalities that act as storage reservoir for bacteria.

Chronic bacterial prostatitis is one hard disease to get rid of. Reoccurrence rates are very high but repeated courses of combination antibiotic therapy can eradicate infection in majority of patients extending remission to 30 month.