Epidemiology and evaluation of chronic pelvic pain syndrome in men

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS), formerly known as chronic abacterial prostatitis, is characterised by pelvic or perineal pain without evidence of urinary tract infection. It manifests as pain in a variety of areas including the perineum, rectum, prostate, penis, testicles and abdomen [Litwin MS, McNaughton-Collins M, Fowler Jr FJ, Nickel JC, Calhoun EA, Pontari MA, et al. The National Institutes of Health chronic prostatitis symptom index: development and validation of a new outcome measure. Chronic Prostatitis Collaborative Research Network. J Urol 1999;2:369-75]. It is also frequently associated with symptoms including urinary urgency, frequency, hesitancy and poor or interrupted flow. CPPS may be associated with white cells in the prostatic secretions (inflammatory) (NIH-3A), or white cell absence in the prostatic secretions (non-inflammatory) (NIH-3B) [Krieger JN, Nyberg Jr L, Nickel JC. NIH consensus definition and classification of prostatitis. JAMA 1999;3:236-7].