[Chronic prostatitis symptom index of Chinese].
OBJECTIVE
To establish the chronic prostatitis symptom index which more suitable for Chinese to refine and standardize evaluation of current symptoms in men with "chronic prostatitis".


METHODS
The literature of previous work was reviewed to develop a symptom index instrument. There were 18 questions representing three broad categories: pain symptoms, urinary symptoms and other symptoms. To evalute the clinical utility and applicability for Chinese people of this tool, we used it in 100 patients with chronic prostatitis and 100 control patients (40 with benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH; 30 with infertility; 30 with erectile dysfunction).


RESULTS
Of the three aspects symptoms, the primary component was pain. But pain in lower back and lower abdomen had less specificity. Pain in the rectal area was not very common but it could well distinguish patients with prostatitis from those BPH, infertility and ED. Urinary symptoms were also common. We used 5 symptom questions in urinary aspect in the last version of this index. In other symptoms, we dropped the question of uncomfortable of waist and back at last. It could not distinguish patients with prostatitis from those infertility and erectile dysfunction. Finally we analyzed the result and modified the new version of chronic prostatitis symptom index. It included 5 pain symptom questions, 5 urinary symptom questions and 2 other symptom questions. There are 12 questions in total.


CONCLUSIONS
The chronic prostatitis symptom index we developed was validated and useful in clinical practice as well as research protocols. Moreover, it was more suitable for Chinese people.
Hong
Kai
K
Department of Urology, People's Hospital of Peking University, Beijing 100044, China.
Xu
Qing-Quan
QQ
Jiang
Hui
H
Wang
Xiao-Feng
XF
Zhu
Ji-Chuan
JC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index