Prostatitis is an inflammatory condition of the prostate and has been divided into four categories according to the National Institutes of Health classification. This article reviews the various types of prostatitis and their effect on serum prostate-specific antigen levels. Various proposed mechanisms of this elevation include leakage of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) into the blood stream, hypervascularity, and altered vascular permeability secondary to inflammation. Acute prostatitis can lead to an increase in PSA, which usually returns to normal levels with appropriate antibiotics within 1 to 3 months. Patients with chronic prostatitis have a less well-defined decrease in PSA after an antibiotic course. Whether a course of antibiotics prior to biopsy increases the yield has not been well established. Asymptomatic inflammation of the prostate has been recognized to be an important confounding factor in patients with an elevated PSA. Inflammation has been proposed to be a precursor of prostate adenocarcinoma.
