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How to diagnose and treat fungal infections in chronic prostatitis

Gilbert J Wise1, Alex Shteynshlyuger

  • 1Division of Urology, Maimonides Medical Center, 48-02 10th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219, USA. gwise@maimonidesmed.org

Current Urology Reports
|August 26, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Fungal infections, including Candida and environmental fungi, increasingly affect the prostate, mimicking other conditions. Early diagnosis and tailored antifungal treatment are crucial for managing these opportunistic infections.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Urology

Background:

  • Rising rates of nosocomial infections due to drug-resistant fungi like Candida species.
  • Opportunistic fungal infections by environmental fungi (Aspergillus, Cryptococcus) in immunocompromised patients (transplant, HIV).
  • Environmental fungi (Coccidioides, Histoplasma, Blastomyces) can infect both immune-competent and deficient individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the increasing prevalence of fungal prostatitis.
  • To discuss the diverse clinical presentations of fungal prostate infections.
  • To outline diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for fungal prostatitis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of epidemiologic changes and fungal pathogens.
  • Discussion of diagnostic methods including urine cultures and prostate biopsy.
  • Analysis of treatment approaches for localized and disseminated fungal prostatitis.

Main Results:

  • Fungal infections can manifest as prostate changes mimicking bacterial infections, BPH, or neoplasms.
  • Prostate surgery may reveal latent fungal infections.
  • Different fungal species present with varied clinical outcomes and require specific treatments.

Conclusions:

  • Fungal prostatitis is an emerging concern in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients.
  • Accurate diagnosis through urine cultures or biopsy is essential.
  • Treatment varies from surgical removal of the prostate to systemic antifungal therapy based on infection severity.

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