Objectives: Prostatic calcification is common in asymptomatic elderly men. However, young men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) often have significantly calcified prostates. We studied the incidence and significance of prostatic calcification in men with CPPS.
Methods: From July 2005 to August 2006, 130 new patients with CPPS were seen at our clinic. Of these 130 patients, 47 underwent transrectal ultrasonography. Prostatic calcification correlated with symptoms (National Institutes of Health chronic prostatitis symptom index score), examination findings, and culture results. The variables were compared using the Student t test, Wilcoxon unpaired test, or chi-square test.
Results: The 47 men who had undergone transrectal ultrasonography had symptoms identical to those who had not but were older (range 46.1 to 41.6 years, P = 0.02) and had had symptoms longer (median 60 versus 12 months, P = 0.0001). Of the 47 patients, 22 (47%) had significant calcification. The symptoms with or without calcification were identical (chronic prostatitis symptom score 23.7 versus 23.9). Men with calcification had had symptoms longer (median 84 versus 27 months, P = 0.05) but were similar in age (49 versus 45 years, P = 0.21) and had a similar prostate size (21.7 cm3 for both groups). Men with calcification were less likely to have pelvic floor tenderness (50% versus 85%, P = 0.03) but were more likely to have bacteria in the prostatic fluid (P = 0.05) and had a higher median white blood cell count (3.5 versus 0 white blood cells per high power field, P = 0.058).
Conclusions: Prostatic calcification is common in patients with CPPS and is associated with greater inflammation, bacterial colonization, and symptom duration. Pelvic floor spasm is more common in patients without calcification. This might be an important parameter with which to stratify clinical trials.