title: Therapeutic efficacy of bipolar radiofrequency thermotherapy for patients with chronic prostatitis: a retrospective analysis of 26 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic prostatitis (CP) does not yet have a universally successful therapy. Alternative treatments including thermotherapy have been adopted in the multimodal management of pain and voiding dysfunction. We retrospectively analyzed the therapeutic efficacy of bipolar radiofrequency thermotherapy for patients who were unsatisfied with conventional medication for CP.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study between October 2009 and September 2010 of 26 patients who were under 50 years old and diagnosed with CP (National Institutes of Health [NIH]-category III) was performed. Twenty patients were diagnosed with inflammatory CP (NIH-category IIIa) and the rest with noninflammatory CP (NIH-category IIIb). We used the Tempro system at an intraprostatic temperature of 55℃ for 50 minutes with a medium heating rate. All patients also completed the NIH-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (CPSI) before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the patients diagnosed with CP, the mean serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was 0.9±0.3 ng/ml, the prostate volume was 27.1±5.5 g, and the average score for all 3 domains on the NIH-CPSI significantly decreased. The total scores decreased from 19.8±7.1 to 11.1±7.0, the pain domain decreased from 8.6±3.1 to 4.8±3.1, the voiding symptom domain decreased from 5.1±1.8 to 2.9±1.8, and the effect on the quality of life decreased from 6.1±2.2 to 3.4±2.2 (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bipolar radiofrequency thermotherapy for patients with CP intractable to conventional medication can provide significant improvement in the NIH-CPSI. Large, randomized controlled trials will also be required to confirm the efficacy of this therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kwangju Christian Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Ju Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Seung Bum
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Dong Hoon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Young Woong
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jong Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joon Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Noh