Evaluation of intravesical potassium sensitivity test and bladder biopsy in patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

AIM: We evaluated the possibility that patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) might have similar histological and physiological bladder changes as that documented in patients with painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC).

METHODS: Thirty-five known patients of CP/CPPS according to the clinical criteria of National Institutes of Health (NIH) were evaluated. The severity of the symptoms was evaluated according the NIH-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index. All patients underwent a potassium sensitivity test (PST) and bladder cystoscopy. Bladder biopsy was obtained from 17 patients with prostatitis and four control patients.

RESULTS: Urinary symptoms were present in 31 (88.6%) patients. Pelvic pain was reported in all patients. PST was positive in 26 (84%) of 31 patients that presented with urinary symptoms in its filling phase. In the voiding phase, 10 (28.5%) patients experienced urethral pain. Of these patients, five had negative filling PST. There were only two (5.7%) patients that had negative PST in both of its phases for an overall positive PST rate of 94.3%. The severity of PST was not correlated with the total symptom score (P = 0.37). However, patients with severe urinary symptoms were more likely to score higher grades with PST (P = 0.01). Of the 17 patients who underwent bladder biopsy, a significant increase in the number of mast cells (MC) was present in 11 (64.7%) patients. Glomerulations with bladder cystoscopy was observed in 24 (68.6%) patients.

CONCLUSIONS: The data of the present study support the opinion that PBS/IC is under-diagnosed in male patients that present with urgency, frequency and/or pain. In some patients diagnosed as CP/CPPS, the symptoms might be related to bladder dysfunction rather than prostatic inflammation.