Digital rectal exam is exquisitely tender. The most common pathogens are E. coli, Klebsiella, Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacter, and Staphylococcus aureus. Chronic Bacterial prostatitis is defined by recurrent Urinary tract infection and persistence of pathogenic bacteria in prostatic fluid. Physical exam is usually normal, however the three part urine analysis shows a high number of white cells on one of the three samples. Chronic bacterial prostatitis is simply a bacterial infection that recurs and is chiefly due to the ductal structure of the prostate you were born with.
Nonbacterial prostatitis is an inflammatory condition of unknown etiology.
The symptoms are similar to those with chronic prostatitis and this group of patients outnumber all other patients with prostatitis. Again the physical exam is unremarkable however on the three part urine test there is not only high numbers of white blood cells, but all lipid laden macrophages. These are cells not characteristically seen in the prostate secretions filled with fat. There may be a chemical irritation as a basis of this disease. Prostadynia is a term used to define patients with proststitis type pain without specific findings related to the prostate.