Prostate-specific antigen and prostatitis in men under fifty.

Objective : To evaluate the occurrence of increased prostate-specific antigen (PSA) serum concentration in patients with prostatitis and low incidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatic cancer, PSA was measured in a selected population. Methods : PSA levels were evaluated in 72 patients with prostatitis under 50 years of age. Results : An increased PSA (>4 ng/ml) was found in 5/7 (71%) patients with acute prostatitis, and in 2/13(15%) and 2/32 (6%) patients with chronic bacterial and abacterial prostatitis, respectively. No patient with prostatodynia had an increased PSA. In patients with bacterial prostatitis PSA level decreased to normal value after effective antibiotic therapy in most cases. Conclusion : Prostatitis must be considered when using PSA as tumor marker.