title: Prostatic abscess: diagnosis and treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prostatic abscesses are uncommon in clinical practice because early antibiotic therapy has reduced complications of prostatitis. Prostatic abscess mainly affects diabetic and immunosuppressed patients. The organisms most frequently involved are Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus, whereas gonococcus is rarely encountered. The results in eight men with prostatic abscess, five of whom were treated with sonographically guided percutaneous drainage, are reported. The diagnosis, clinically suspected in only three patients, was confirmed by transrectal sonography. All patients experienced complete abscess resolution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transrectal sonography is the most reliable imaging method to diagnose prostatic abscess. Percutaneous transperineal or transrectal drainage is the first choice for therapy because of the lower risk of complication compared with surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital M. Malpighi, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barozzi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pavlica
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Menchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Matteis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Canepari
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004322:Drainage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011469:Prostatic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D011677:Punctures; D014463:Ultrasonography