The Prevalence of the Symptoms of the Prostate Syndrome Patients Under 50

Cho, In Rae; Park, Seok Chan; Park, Seok San

Abstract

PURPOSE: Chronic prostatitis is characterized by various symptoms. To elucidate the prevalence of such symptoms, we developed a questionnaire composed of six pain-related, seven sex-related, and 11 voiding-related questions and evaluated chronic prostatitis patients under 50 years of age.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
From March 1995 to July 1996, a total of 500 patients (prostatitis 303, prostatodynia with history of prostatitis 153, prostatodynia only 44) underwent study. The mean age was 35 years and the average duration of infliction was 3.5 months.
RESULTS
Perineal, testicular, and penile pains were the most often complained types of perceived pains. The most frequently complained voiding symptoms were frequency, weak stream, residual urine sensation and dribbling which were seen in over 40% of the patients. More than 50% of the patients responded as having some type of voiding difficulty. For sexual symptoms, premature ejaculation , decreased libido and orgasm, decreased potency, and pain associated with ejaculation were seen in 64%, 55%, 54%, and 47% of the patients. When the prostatitis and prostatodynia patients were compared to one another to find out any characteristic symptoms of prostatitis, there was no difference in pain but statistically significantly higher response was observed in ejaculation associated pain and a decrease in orgasm in the prostatitis group.
CONCLUSIONS
Our data have helped to elucidate the characteristics of symptoms in prostatitis patients, and the questionaire can be used as a tool to standardize prostatitis symptoms, and to evaluate treatment responses.