ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Urologica e Nefrologica 2005 March;57(1):53-9

Copyright © 2005 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with amicrobial chronic prostato-vesiculitis: transrectal ultrasound and seminal findings

Vicari E., La Vignera S., Battiato C., Arancio A.

Sezione di Endocrinologia, Andrologia e Medicina Interna Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche Ospedale Garibaldi Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania

Aim. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the efficacy (0= none; 3= fully) of the treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAI) drugs on (a) gland post-inflammatory echopattern, by transrectal ultrasound (TRUS); (b) seminal cytologic (WBC concentration and spermiophagies) and (c) >2 physicochemical inflammatory parameters in patients with chronic amicrobial prostato-vesiculitis (PV).
Methods. Thirty-five patients with PV received NSAI drugs in the following intermittently steps (over a 3-month period): 1) Pygeum 100 mg twice a day for 14 consecutive days per month; 2) flavoxate-propyphenazone 400 mg twice a day plus Serratiopeptidase 10 000 U twice a day for the subsequent 14 days per month. All patients underwent semen analysis and TRUS scans in the pre-treatment and after 3 months of therapy.
Results. The fully (a+b+c) efficacy rate, through an improvement of TRUS prostatic or vesicular echopattern in 37.1% and 22.8% respectively, was higher than that registered with an improvement of only 1 or 2 endpoints. Altogether, the following TRUS findings showed reductions (range 25-40%): prostate volume and hypochogenicity (51.4%); vesicular antero-posterior diameter (APD) in the 43.5% and 28.6% of the uni- and bilateral PV respectively; vesicular wall tickness (25%); unilateral vesicular honeycomb aspect (36%). No efficacy, mainly related to immodified TRUS prostatic or vesicular echopattern in 51.4% and 65.7% respectively, was observed on: areas of prostatic hyperechogenicity; peri-prostatic venous congestion; vesicular APD <7 mm or >21 mm (with honeycomb aspect).
Conclusion. In PV patients, the treatment with NSAI compounds was effective when it was enable to produce multiple positive effects, mainly through TRUS changes.