The etiology and pathogenesis of chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) have not been fully understood so far. It is indicated that pathogen infection may play a significant role in the development of this disease. In addition to typical pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, many special pathogens are difficult to be identified and isolated by conventional methods and are easily ignored in clinical practice. This review summarizes the possible roles of potential pathogens in CP/CPPS, in order to arouse the attention of clinicians and help solve related clinical problems. Clinicians are advised to attend better to the screening and study of abacterial prostatitis with dominant clinical characteristics of chronic inflammation, recurrence or aggravation, especially the cases receiving long-term broad-spectrum antibiotics, suggesting prostatic infection caused by special pathogens.
Keywords: chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome; pathogen; microbiome; urinary tract infection.