Acute Prostatitis

Diagnosis

If your doctor suspects prostatitis, he or she will examine your prostate by inserting a finger into your rectum. When the prostate is infected, it usually feels swollen and firm. When pressure is put on the gland, you may experience pain or a severe need to urinate. Your doctor also will do a general exam to make sure that infection has not spread to other organs, such as the kidneys.

A next step will be to examine a urine specimen for evidence of infection, such as blood cells or bacteria. In a typical case of acute prostatitis, the urine will be filled with white blood cells (pus). You may also have blood tests to check your kidney function and blood cell count. Rarely, your doctor may order an ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) scan to get a better look at the prostate gland.

Expected Duration

If treated promptly, the symptoms of prostatitis usually begin to improve within 24 to 48 hours. In more severe cases, symptoms of infection may linger for more than a week.