The prostate is a walnut-sized organ
that lies just below the bladder, surrounding the urethra. The function of the prostate is to enhance the motility
of sperm cells by secreting a thin, alkaline fluid into the urethra.
Inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis) and benign prostatic
hyperplasia (BPH) are common afflictions of men over the age of 50.
Prostate cancer is the leading form of cancer among men.
Inflammation of the
Prostate (Prostatitis)
Prostatitis is inflammation
caused by an infection of the prostate. Prostatitis may be
responsible for a quarter of all office visits by young and middle-age
men for complaints involving the genital and urinary systems, according
to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC).
NKUDIC says prostatitis can fall into one of several different
categories:
-
Acute
bacterial prostatitis
is the least common of the categories but
also the easiest to diagnose and treat. This form of prostatitis
leads to a range of very uncomfortable and painful symptoms,
including chills, fever, pain in the lower back and genital area,
urinary frequency and urgency often at night, burning or painful
urination, and body aches. There is also a clear infection of the
urinary tract, with white blood cells and bacteria in the urine.
-
Chronic
bacterial prostatitis is another category. This form of
prostatitis is associated with an underlying defect in the prostate.
Symptoms can be similar to those of acute bacterial prostatitis, and
there are also signs of infection.
-
Chronic
prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is the most common but
least understood form of prostatitis. It is found in men of any age;
symptoms go away and then return without warning. Chronic
prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome may be inflammatory or
noninflammatory. In the inflammatory form, urine, semen, and other
fluids from the prostate show no evidence of a known infecting
organism, but they do contain cells the body usually produces to
fight infection. In the noninflammatory form, there is no evidence
of inflammation or infection-fighting cells, but there are symptoms.
-
Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis is the diagnosis when the
patient does not complain of pain or discomfort but has
infection-fighting cells in his semen. Doctors usually find this
form of prostatitis when looking for causes of infertility or
testing for prostate cancer.
Acute bacterial
prostatitis is a sudden form, and the potential for septicemia is high.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis can result from enlargement of the
prostate and the trapping of bacteria in the urethra. Chronic
prostatitis is a major source of urinary tract infections among men.
Click here to learn more about
Prostatitis.
Benign Prostatic
Hyperplasia (BPH)
Hyperplasia describes the
overgrowth of tissue. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the
non-cancerous overproduction of prostate cells, specifically the
supporting stromal and glandular tissue, that result in enlargement of
the prostate. This condition, which commonly afflicts men over the
age of 50, can lead to a range of uncomfortable symptoms and increases
the propensity toward bladder infections. The exact mechanism that
stimulates prostatic hyperplasia is not completely understood.
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for learn more about BPH.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most
common form of cancer in men. It is primarily diagnosed in men
over 65, although it may begin much earlier. While most prostate
cancers are found in the peripheral zone, they may occur anywhere in the
prostate. Most pathologists use a
Gleason Grading System to assess
the tumor progression. The more distorted and aggressive the
cancer looks, the higher the Gleason grade, and the more aggressive the
cancer behaves in the body. A score from 2 to 4 is very low on the
cancer aggression scale; scores from 5 to 6 are mildly aggressive; a
score of 7 indicates that cancer is moderately aggressive; scores from 8
to 10 indicate that the cancer is highly aggressive.
Click here to learn more about prostate
cancer.
