Definition of Bacterial prostatitis, chronic
Bacterial prostatitis, chronic: Longstanding bacterial infection of the prostate gland superimposed on a defect in the prostate. (The prostate is a small organ below the bladder which surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine down from the bladder.) The symptoms can include low back pain, discomfort in the perineum (the area between the anus and the genitalia), testicular pain and, if the infection spreads to the bladder, mild pain or burning on urination (dysuria) and frequent and urgent need to urinate (frequency and urgency). The presence of white blood cells and bacteria in the urine attests to the fact that the urinary tract is infected with bacteria.
The defect in the prostate is the focal point for the persistent infection. Effective treatment requires identification and correction of this defect before antibiotics can be effective.
Last Editorial Review: 6/14/2012
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