Dr. H. Wedren Dr. B. E. Persson m.fl. Dr. L. Carlsson m.fl. On chronic prostatitis with special studies of Staphylococcus epidermidis. Patients with chronic prostatitis have an increased number of white blood cells in expressed prostatic secretion. In this group an immune response to the bacteria has been demonstrated.
Patients belonging to the other group, non-bacterial prostatitis, have similar symptoms.
Many harbour Gram-positive bacteria in a high number, often Staphylococcus epidermidis in expressed prostatic secretion. This bacterium is usually not considered in prostatitis in spite of extreme high numbers. The etiology of non-bacterial inflammations is thus unknown. Fortyfour per cent of patients referred with symptoms of prostatitis did not have any aerobic bacteria at the prostatic level in sufficient number for the diagnosis bacterial prostatitis according to Meares and Stamey and form thus a third group. Antibiotic treatment of patients with non-bacterial prostatitis reduced symptoms but also changed the bacterial flora in urethral and prostatic secretion in such a way that uropathogens were found after treatment.