Distinguishing chronic prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms: results of a national survey of physician visits.

OBJECTIVES

The morbidity of chronic prostatitis results from a constellation of genitourinary symptoms. A recent study classified 21 of these symptoms into three categories: pain, voiding complaints, and sexual dysfunction. Pain symptoms predominated among patients with prostatitis. Using data from a nationwide survey of physician visits, we examined the most common symptoms reported by men at chronic prostatitis visits and contrasted the results with visits for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

METHODS

We analyzed 81,034 visits by men (18 years and older) to office-based physicians of all specialties in the National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys of 1990 to 1996, using sampling weights to make national estimates. U.S. physicians selected by random stratified sampling completed visit forms that included patients' reasons for visits and physicians' diagnoses.

RESULTS

In 1990 to 1996, there were 765 visits (national estimate 1.5 million visits/yr; 95% confidence interval = 0.9 to 2.1) with a diagnosis of chronic prostatitis. Among chronic prostatitis visits, 20% were for pain, 19% for urinary symptoms, and 1% for sexual dysfunction. Among 2271 BPH visits, 2% were for pain, 33% for voiding complaints, and 1% for sexual dysfunction. The most common reason coded for chronic prostatitis visits was painful urination (14% of chronic prostatitis visits, but only 1.7% of BPH visits).

CONCLUSIONS

Pain was slightly more common than voiding complaints, but much more common than sexual dysfunction among chronic prostatitis visits. The most common reason for chronic prostatitis visits was painful urination, which was uncommon among patients with BPH. Pain distinguished chronic prostatitis from BPH better than any other urinary symptom.