[Clinical study of new technique for collection of EPS, prostate catheter method--comparison with Meares and Stamey's method].

We newly developed a catheter for expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) collection and examined whether or not EPS can be collected with this catheter without contamination of urethral bacteria. The clinical value of the prostate catheter method was examined in comparison with Meares & Stamey's method. Both prostate catheter and Meares & Stamey's method were performed by crossover method in 11 patients who were highly suspected of chronic prostatitis based on symptoms and physical findings. Three of the 4 cases of bacterial prostatitis on Meares & Stamey's method were diagnosed as bacterial prostatitis by the prostate catheter method, but the remaining one was diagnosed as prostatodynia. One of the 3 cases of non-bacterial prostatitis on Meares & Stamey's method was diagnosed as non-bacterial prostatitis, but the other two cases were diagnosed as urethritis. Four cases of prostatodinia on Meares & Stamey's method were given the same diagnosis by the prostate catheter method. In conclusion, eight of 11 cases received the same diagnosis by the two different method. The remaining three cases were given different diagnosis, but the prostate catheter method gave a more accurate diagnosis. We concluded that the prostate catheter method is useful in the differential diagnosis of bacterial prostatitis and non-bacterial prostatitis.