The prevalence of men with National Institutes of Health category IV prostatitis and association with serum prostate specific antigen

Purpose: We evaluated the prevalence and relationship of serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels in a screening population of men diagnosed with National Institutes of Health (NIH) category IV prostatitis. Materials and Methods: In September of 2001, 300 men were randomly selected from our prostate cancer awareness screening program to be evaluated for NIH category IV prostatitis. After informed consent was obtained all patients completed the NIH prostate cancer awareness survey and had a serum sample obtained for PSA before examination. Expressed prostatic secretions were obtained from 227 of the 300 participants. Patients were classified according to findings on examination of the expressed prostatic secretions. The records were entered into our data base and subsequently reviewed. Results: The prevalence of NIH category IV prostatitis was 32.2% in our population of men. Patient age, American Urological Association symptom scores and clinical prostate gland size did not differ between men with or without evidence of prostatitis on expressed prostatic secretion examination. Men with NIH category IV prostatitis had a mean serum PSA level of 2.3 which was significantly higher (p < 0.0004) than those without prostatitis (mean PSA 1.4). Conclusions: These data suggest that NIH category IV prostatitis is fairly prevalent (32.2%) among men in the general population who present for prostate cancer screening and appears to contribute to increased serum PSA levels in some men.