[Prostate histopathology of NIH category IV prostatitis detected by sextant prostate needle biopsy from the patients with high prostatic specific antigen].

Asymptomatic prostatitis is classified as category IV in NIH classification of prostatitis syndrome (1999). No report concerning this category has been present. We investigated this category histopathologically and clinically, in order to clarify the histopathological distribution and its correlation to the clinical features, in this study. Among 785 patients who were suspected prostate cancer because of their high prostatic specific antigen (PSA) values and to have a sextant prostate needle biopsy was performed between January, 1996 and December, 2000, 88 patients (11.2%) were diagnosed as NIH category IV prostatitis (asymptomatic prostatitis). We observed all pathological specimens stained with Hematoxylin-Eosine, and classified them into subtypes according to the classification criteria for prostatitis defined by True et al. (1999). We also investigated the relationship between histopathological distribution and clinical features such as PSA values, PSA density, the incidence of pyuria or bacteriuria. In the histopathological study, grade distributions were 12.5% (11/88) in mild, 71.6% (63/88) in moderate, and 15.9% (14/88) in severe. Location distributions were 2.3% (2/88) in glandular, 68.2% (60/88) in periglandular, and 29.5% (26/88) in stromal. No relationship between these subtypes and clinical features was recognized statistically. However, 7 patients (7.95%) were diagnosed as prostate cancers, later. Pyuria was found in 29.1% (23/79). Bacteriuria was present in 14.3% (11/77). Isolated bacteria were 4 strains of Enterococcus faccalis, 2 strains of each of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, and one strain of each of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Gram positive rod, and Candida sp. No relationship between these subtypes and bacterial species was recognized. These results indicated that the incidence of NIII category IV prostatits was not low without correlation to any clinical features. However, we should pay attention to the presence of prostate cancer, because a small number of the patients were diagnosed as prostate cancer, later.