Calculous prostatitis is a complication of a chronic inflammatory process in the prostate. In this disease, stones form in the excretory ducts of the prostate and acinus. As a result of the development of the pathological process, the need to urinate increases, pain in the perineum and lower abdomen occurs, and the erection is disturbed. You should not lead the course of this disease, as it can ultimately lead to a number of health problems.
What is calculous prostatitis
This disease is a form of chronic prostatitis. The disease is characterized by the formation of prostatolitis or calculus, which is one of the most common consequences of the long-term inflammatory process observed in the prostate.
Prostate stone is most often detected by routine examination in about 9% of men of different ages.
There are three age peaks incidence of this form of prostatitis:
- 30-39 years. As a rule, the disease is not detected in patients younger than 30 years. However, the disease gradually becomes younger. In people at this age, the development of calculous prostatitis is associated with a long course of chronic prostatitis caused by gonorrhea, chlamydia, ureaplasmosis or mycoplasmosis.
- 40-59 years. In men of this age group, the disease most often causes prostate adenoma.
- Over 60 years. In this case, calculous prostatitis usually develops against the background of the extinction of sexual function.
Causes and risk factors
The formation of stones in the prostate can be caused by two types of reasons:
- True or primary, characterized by the direct development of disease in the ducts of the gland or acinus.
- Secondary or false, in which there is a migration of stones from the upper urinary tract. The most common site of their formation is the bladder, kidneys, or urethra. The reason for the development of calculous prostatitis may be urolithiasis.
Depending on the nature of the onset of the disease, the reasons for its development are divided into two groups:
- Exogenous. In this case, we are talking about those factors that do not relate to the work of the body, but act on it from the outside. These include drug addiction, smoking or alcohol abuse.
- Endogenous. Concretions occur in the background of any disorders in the functioning of the body. We are talking about organ injuries or complications after surgery. Bacterial damage to the prostate is also associated with these factors.
Alcohol abuse can cause the development of calculous prostatitis in men.
Calculous prostatitis usually develops against the background of stagnant, inflammatory changes in the prostate. Such processes occur due to insufficient emptying of the prostate, so the following factors are the main causes of the disease:
- lack of regular sex life;
- overcoming a sedentary lifestyle;
- replacing sex with masturbation;
- bad habits, such as alcoholism or smoking;
- inflammatory processes of the prostate caused by the penetration of microbes into the organ.
Experts distinguish two main pathological mechanisms that lead to the formation of stones in the organ and its channels:
- Violation of secretory function, due to which significant stagnation of prostate secretion is formed.
- Throwing urine into the prostate cavity. This can occur against the background of improper functioning of the genitourinary system, the formation of fistulas and the influence of a number of other negative factors.
Symptoms
The signs of calculous prostatitis are in many ways similar to the development of chronic prostatitis, but are more pronounced. Most patients diagnosed with prostatitis of this form complain of difficulty and pain during urination.
The difference from chronic prostatitis in this case is the pain present in the patient 24 hours a day, not just at night. The reason for such a clinical picture is most often a disturbed process of urine outflow and prostate secretion. This is due to complete or partial obstruction of the canal by stone.
A number of other symptoms of the disease should also be noted:
- The presence of pain in the pelvis and perineum. Moreover, they can manifest not only during urination. Patients have unpleasant sensations in the occipital bone and lower abdomen, which do not depend on a certain time of day.
- Pathological impurities appear in the semen. Bloody discharge is often found in it, and only in extreme cases can pus be present.
- Pain when urinating on the background of frequent false desires. Most patients excrete very little urine. However, it can be completely absent.
- Erectile dysfunction. Due to the fact that the prostate canal is blocked, the normal outflow of semen from the organs is disrupted. All this leads to the impossibility of ending intercourse.
In the most severe cases of the disease, the patient may completely miss an erection and significantly reduce libido.
Diagnosis
Magnetic resonance imaging gives good results for accurate identification of diseases.
Before treating calculous prostatitis, the patient must be carefully examined. A urologist diagnoses this disease. He is obliged to make a preliminary diagnosis based on the patient's complaints, as well as a subsequent physical and instrumental examination. It includes the following procedures:
- Digital rectal examination of the prostate. It is performed by palpation. In the presence of calculous prostatitis, the patient has a type of crepitus and a bumpy calculus.
- Transrectal prostate ultrasound. This procedure identifies stones that have the appearance of hyperechoic formations with a clearly visible acoustic pathway. The number of such formations, their size, localization and structure are studied.
- Review urography. The procedure allows you to identify the presence of prostatitis.
- MRI and CT of the prostate. These techniques are very effective and are used to confirm the results of previous studies.
Urethrography, pyelography and cystography are used as additional procedures.
In addition to instrumental techniques, the diagnosis of calculous prostatitis includes laboratory tests that include the following procedures:
- Study of prostate secretion.
- Analysis for bacteriological culture of urine and urethral material.
- A PCR study, during which scraping is taken, examines the presence of genital infections.
- Blood tests. Biochemical analysis is most often given.
- Urine analysis.
- Sperm analysis for biochemistry.
- Bacteriological seeding of ejaculate.
If we are talking about conducting differential diagnostics, then its task is to distinguish calculous prostatitis from tuberculosis, prostate adenoma, prostate oncology, as well as various types of prostatitis.
Treatment
How to cure calculous prostatitis? The treatment of calculous prostatitis is prescribed by a doctor based on a detailed diagnosis. Depending on the stage of the disease, several treatment options are possible. Let's look at each of them in more detail.
Drug therapy
The course of treatment is prescribed by a doctor strictly individually.
Treatment of chronic calculous prostatitis with tablets can take from one to three months. This type of therapy is primarily aimed at achieving stable remission and prevention of complications of the disease.
Regardless of the cause of the disease, the patient is prescribed antibacterial drugs. Antibiotics are prescribed based on the results of the analysis of urethral secretions and urine culture.
The most common drugs used to treat calculous prostatitis are:
- Fluoroquinolones. This is the most effective group of antibiotics used to treat calculous prostatitis. However, these remedies can be used only after the presence of tuberculosis is completely ruled out.
- Tetracyclines. They are used less frequently because they often cause side effects.
- Penicillins. Classic antibiotics that have a wide range of effects on pathogenic microflora.
- Cephalosporins.
Physiotherapy
The following physiotherapy techniques are used to enhance the effect of drug therapy and improve prostate function:
- Magnetotherapy. It is used to eliminate edema and normalize the blood circulation process.
- Laser therapy. It eliminates the pain syndrome and helps reduce the inflammatory process.
- Prostate massage. It allows you to restore the patency of the canal, improving blood circulation in the prostate.
In some cases, the treatment of calculous prostatitis requires a radical approach. In this case, various surgical techniques are used, the most popular of which is prostatectomy.
Possible complications
Sport is the best prevention of calculous prostatitis.
If the patient is not given timely treatment, the patient may develop chronic calculous prostatitis. This can be met with the following dangerous complications:
- abscess development;
- prostate fibrosis;
- potency problems;
- urinary incontinence;
- various forms of vesiculitis.
Therefore, it is very important to recognize calculous prostatitis in time and start treating it. As a prophylaxis of this disease, you should give up alcohol and smoking, play sports, treat infections in time and prevent hypothermia.