Health and Prostate

The Department of Urology of the New York Hospital (Given January 31, 1941) Diseases of the Prostate Gland Prostatitis 2. Chronic Prostatitis Chemotherapy has given a new hope in the treatment of chronic prostatitis, with the introduction of the sulf onamides and mandelic acid. Other useful drugs are salol and methenamine used with acid sodium phosphate. When prostatic pain is very severe, sedatives are often necessary. The barbiturates usually suffice, but occasionally it is necessary to give codeine, pantopon, or morphine. When there is pain in the region of the prostate, or during micturition, the patient should be given a soothing prescription, such as Kirwin's mixture: Potassium citrate Drams VI (24 cc.) Tinct. Hyoscyami Ounces I (30 cc.) Tinct. Opii camphorata Ounces I (30 cc.) Elix. Saw palmetto et Santalwood q.s. ad. Ounces IV (120 cc.) Sig: — Drams II (8 cc.) q. 4 hours Spices and alcohol should be eliminated from the diet and constipation avoided. When there is marked vesical irritation, a restricted diet should be used, which Read more [...]

The Department of Urology of the New York Hospital (Given January 31, 1941) Diseases of the Prostate Gland Prostatitis 2. Chronic Prostatitis To secure uncontaminated prostatic secretion the patient is first asked to void his urine; the penis and meatus are cleansed with green soap and water; and the anterior urethra irrigated with rivanol dextrose, acriflavine, or other antiseptic solution. The patient kneels on the table and a small endoscopic tube is inserted to a point beyond the external sphincter into the prostatic urethra. He then bends over and rests on his hands or elbows. The prostate is massaged firmly but gently and finally the prostatic urethra emptied by vigorous strokes down the middle depression of the prostate. The uncontaminated prostatic fluid is received in a sterile test-tube which the assistant holds at the end of the endoscope. Normal prostatic fluid is opalescent and viscid, and microscopically is seen to consist of corpora amylacea, lecithin globules, columnar epithelia, and occasional hyaline globules. In chronic prostatitis, the prostatic secretion Read more [...]

The Department of Urology of the New York Hospital (Given January 31, 1941) Diseases of the Prostate Gland Prostatitis 2. Chronic Prostatitis Symptoms. The signs and symptoms of chronic prostatitis vary greatly. The most frequent complaints are of pain, a urethral discharge, which may be profuse or merely the so-called "morning drop," and some disturbance of sexual function, always accompanied by neurasthenia. The pain may be local or referred. Ordinarily, it is located in the perineum, and may be described by the patient simply as a "heaviness" in the rectum. With this type there is generally a history of the passage of prostatic fluid on defecation. The pain may be referred down the back or inner sides of the legs, or into the groins, penis, or sacrum; or it may simulate that produced by renal or ureteral stone. Frequent and painful urination, urgency, and difficulty are all common complaints, and result largely from involvement of the posterior urethra and bladder neck. If abscess occurs in the course of a chronic prostatitis, which is not uncommon with pyogenic infections, Read more [...]

The Department of Urology of the New York Hospital (Given January 31, 1941) Diseases of the Prostate Gland Prostatitis 2. Chronic Prostatitis Chronic inflammation of the prostate gland is a very common condition in adult males. In our series of 350 postmortem studies, a large number of the specimens showed evidence of inflammation of the prostate. The chronically infected prostate is a common focus of infection, and urologists have repeatedly emphasized the importance of examining the gland and its secretion when searching for the source of obscure infectious conditions. We regard the prostate as second only to infected tonsils as a cause of arthritis. It may also be responsible for endocarditis, neuritis, iritis, and myositis. Etiology and Bacteriology. Chronic prostatitis may result from any cause which congests the gland, such as long-standing infection, sexual abuse, or instrumental or other trauma. Other possible etiological factors are prostatic calculosis, stricture of the urethra, and certain vitamin deficiencies and endocrine dyscrasias. Chronic prostatitis is Read more [...]

The Department of Urology of the New York Hospital (Given January 31, 1941) Diseases of the Prostate Gland Prostatitis Prostatitis is a very common disease. It is usually associated with inflammation of the posterior urethra, seminal vesicles, vesical neck, trigone, or even the epididymes, and should, therefore, be studied in relation to both the urinary and genital tracts. 1. Acute Prostatitis Etiology and Bacteriology. The most frequent cause of acute prostatitis is gonococcal infection. Non-specific acute infections are also common and have of late received much study. The organisms most often responsible are the Staphylococcus albus and aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and colon bacillus, but the Bacillus proteus, diphtheroid types, or other organisms may be present. Mixed infections are frequent Contributing causes of prostatitis are masturbation over a protracted period, excessive sexual excitation without gratification, excessive sexual intercourse, and coitus interruptus. Infection may reach the prostate by direct extension from the posterior urethra up the prostatic Read more [...]

The Department of Urology of the New York Hospital (Given January 31, 1941) Introduction One out of every four men over the age of 70 years has some deviation from the normal as regards the anatomical structure of the prostate gland. This fact was established by the author in a series of 250 consecutive autopsies on males at Bellevue Hospital. In addition, the prostate is subject to attack by various organisms in youth and young manhood, adding to the general incidence of prostatic disease. In later years, adenomatous hypertrophy and carcinoma and other malignancies enter the picture. The prostate gland is, therefore, an organ of considerable importance from the pathological standpoint, and must be reckoned with at all ages after puberty — and, indeed, even before puberty because sarcoma of the prostate occurs at any age. Anatomical and Physiological Considerations The prostate gland consists of five lobes: two lateral, a middle, an anterior and a posterior. There are two accessory structures: (1) the subcervical group of tubules, occurring under the mucosa at the vesical orifice, Read more [...]