Urinalysis and urine culture are typically positive in which prostatitis condition, and often negative in which?

• A. Chronic prostatitis positive; acute prostatitis negative
• B. Acute prostatitis positive; chronic prostatitis negative
• C. Chronic prostatitis always negative; acute prostatitis always positive
• D. Urinalysis and culture are not useful in prostatitis regardless of type

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that Urinalysis and urine culture reflect active bacterial infection in the urinary tract. In acute bacterial prostatitis, there is an active infection of the prostate (and often the surrounding urinary tract), so urinalysis typically shows pyuria and bacteriuria and the urine culture grows bacteria. In chronic prostatitis, especially the chronic pelvic pain syndrome type, inflammation can be present without an ongoing detectable bacterial infection, so urinalysis is often normal or shows sterile pyuria and the urine culture is frequently negative. Therefore, urinalysis and culture are typically positive in acute prostatitis and often negative in chronic prostatitis.