title: The role of phenotyping in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
abstract: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a chronic pain syndrome identified by the presence of noninfectious pelvic or perineal pain lasting longer than 3 months. Current diagnoses and treatments for the syndrome solely depend on and target symptoms, respectively. Thus far, the mechanistic disturbances responsible for the pathogenesis of CP/CPPS have remained largely elusive and treatments, and therefore, continue to be ineffective. To move toward successful management and treatment of CP/CPPS, it is necessary to elicit the underlying biological mechanisms responsible for the syndrome. Therefore, a phenotyping system that is able to bridge the gap between current symptom-based diagnosis and future mechanistic approaches to diagnosis and treatment is needed. In this article, we examine current CP/CPPS phenotyping systems, analyze their utility, and make suggestions for changes in clinical approaches to the syndrome that would both promulgate a mechanistic understanding and advance treatment approaches.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Mahal
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Allsop
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Salman F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Bhai
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Inverso
authors.forename: Jordan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Dimitrakoff
mesh_terms: D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D013577:Syndrome