Calculous prostatitis is a complication of a chronic inflammatory process in the prostate gland. With this disease, the stone forms in the excretory ducts of the prostate and acini. As a result of the development of the pathological process, the patient's urge to urinate becomes more frequent, pains occur in the perineum and lower abdomen, and the erection is disturbed. You should not follow 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 prostatoliths or stones, one of the most frequent consequences of a prolonged inflammatory process observed in the prostate gland.
Stones in the prostate are most often found during a routine exam in about 9% of men of different ages.
There are three age peaks in the incidence of this form of prostatitis:
- 30-39 years. As a general rule, the disease is not detected in patients under 30 years of age. However, the disease is getting younger. In people of this age range, the development of calculous prostatitis is associated with a prolonged course of chronic prostatitis caused by gonorrhea, chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, or mycoplasmosis.
- 40-59 years. In men in this age group, the disease usually causes prostate adenoma.
- Over 60 years old. In this case, calculous prostatitis most often develops against the background of the extinction of sexual function.
Causes and risk factors
The formation of stones in the prostate gland can be due to two types of reasons:
- True or primary, characterized by the direct development of the disease in the ducts of the gland or acini.
- Secondary or false, in which there is a migration of stones from the upper urinary tract. Most often, the place 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:
- ExogenousIn this case, we are talking about those factors that are not related to the work of the body, but act on it from the outside. This includes drug addiction, smoking, or alcohol abuse.
- Endogenous. The concretes occur in the context of any alteration in the functioning of the body. We are talking about injuries or organ complications after surgery. Bacterial damage to the prostate is also related to these factors.
Alcohol abuse can trigger the development of calculous prostatitis in men.
Calculous prostatitis usually develops against the background of stagnant inflammatory changes in the prostate. Such processes arise due to insufficient emptying of the prostate glands, so the following factors are the main causes of the disease:
- lack of regular sexual life;
- the prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle;
- replace sex with masturbation;
- bad habits, such as alcoholism or smoking;
- Inflammatory processes of the prostate gland caused by the penetration of microbes into the organ.
Experts distinguish between two main pathological mechanisms that lead to the formation of stones in the organ and its ducts:
- Violation of the secretory function, as a result of which a significant stagnation of secretion from the prostate is formed.
- Dumping urine into the cavity of the prostate gland. 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 similar in many respects to the development of chronic inflammation of the prostate gland, but they are more pronounced. Most patients with prostatitis diagnosed in this way complain of difficulty and pain when urinating.
The difference with chronic prostatitis in this case is the pain present in the patient throughout the day, and not just at night. The reason for such a clinical picture is most often the altered process of urine output and secretions from the prostate. This is due to the partial or total obstruction of the canal with a stone.
Other symptoms of the disease should also be highlighted:
- The presence of pain in the pelvis and perineum. In addition, they can manifest themselves not only when urinating. Patients have unpleasant sensations in the coccyx and lower abdomen, which do not depend on the specific time of day.
- Pathological impurities appear in the semen. Often, bloody discharge is found, and only in extreme cases may pus be present.
- Painful urination against the background of frequent false wishes. In most patients, very little urine is excreted. However, it may be completely absent.
- Erectile dysfunction. Due to the fact that the prostate duct is blocked, the normal outflow of semen from the organ is interrupted. All this leads to the inability to complete intercourse.
In the most severe cases of the development of the disease, the patient may completely lack an erection and significantly decrease libido.
Diagnosis
Magnetic resonance imaging works well to accurately identify the disease.
Before treating calculous prostatitis, the patient must be carefully examined. The urologist is dedicated to the diagnosis of this disease. He is obliged to make a preliminary diagnosis based on the patient's complaints, as well as the subsequent physical and instrumental examination. It includes the following procedures:
- Digital rectal exam of the prostate gland. It is done by palpation. In the presence of calculous prostatitis, the patient has a kind of crepitus and an uneven surface of stones.
- Transrectal ultrasound of the prostate. This procedure identifies stones that have the appearance of hyperechoic formations with a clearly visible acoustic path. The number of such formations, their size, location and structure are studied.
- Urography survey. The procedure allows you to identify the presence of prostalitis.
- Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography of the prostate. These techniques are very effective and are used to confirm the results of previous studies.
As additional procedures are used: urethrography, pyelography and cystography.
In addition to instrumental techniques, the diagnosis of calculous prostatitis includes laboratory tests, which include the following procedures:
- Study of prostate secretion.
- Analysis for bacteriological culture of urine and urethral material.
- PCR study, during which a scraping is taken, the presence of genital infections is studied.
- Blood test. Most often, a biochemical analysis is performed.
- Urine analysis.
- Semen analysis for biochemistry.
- Bacteriological seeding of ejaculation.
If we are talking about conducting differential diagnoses, then your task is to differentiate calculous prostatitis from tuberculosis, prostate adenoma, prostate oncology and various types of prostatitis.
Treatment
How to cure calculous prostatitis? Therapy for calculous prostatitis is prescribed by a doctor based on a complete diagnosis. Depending on the degree of development of the disease, various treatment options are possible. Let's consider each of them in more detail.
Drug therapy
The course of treatment is prescribed by the doctor strictly individually.
Treatment of chronic stone prostatitis with pills can last from one to three months. The main objective of this type of therapy is to achieve a stable remission and to prevent 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 the urethral discharge and urine culture.
The most common remedies used in the treatment of calculous prostatitis are:
- Fluoroquinolones. This is the most effective group of antibiotics used in the treatment of calculous prostatitis. However, these funds can only be used after the presence of tuberculosis has been completely excluded.
- Tetracyclines. They are used less frequently, as they often cause side effects.
- PenicillinsClassic antibiotics that have a wide range of effects on the pathogenic microflora.
- Cephalosporins.
Physiotherapy
To enhance the effect of drug therapy and improve prostate function, the following physiotherapy techniques are used:
- Magnetotherapy. It is used to eliminate edema and normalize the blood circulation process.
- Laser therapy. Eliminates pain syndrome and helps reduce the inflammatory process.
- Prostate massage. It allows you to restore the patency of the ducts, improving blood circulation in the prostate gland.
In some cases, the treatment of calculus 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 does not receive prompt treatment, the patient may develop chronic stone prostatitis. This can be fraught with the following dangerous complications:
- the development of an abscess;
- fibrosis of the prostate;
- problems with potency;
- urinary incontinence;
- various forms of vesiculitis.
Therefore, it is very important to timely identify calculous prostatitis and start treating it. As a prophylaxis of this disease, one should give up alcohol and smoking, play sports, treat infections in time, and prevent hypothermia of the body.