Emphysematous prostatic abscess: case series study and review.

OBJECTIVES

To report three cases of emphysematous prostatic abscess (EPA) and review the literature on this rare entity.

METHODS

All relevant articles published in English over the last 50 years (1961-2011) were identified using a MEDLINE search for keywords 'emphysematous prostatitis' and 'emphysematous prostatic abscess'. A total of 12 patients were evaluated for their age, race, underlying disease, pathogens, diagnosis tool, treatment options, and clinical outcome.

RESULTS

EPA is a high mortality disease (25%) and has an association with diabetes mellitus. The most common pathogen in the 12 cases was Klebsiella pneumoniae.

CONCLUSIONS

The mortality of EPA is higher than that of emphysematous cystitis and emphysematous pyelonephritis. Timely recognition and prompt drainage are very important.