The prostate gland is the largest accessory gland in the male body. The normal prostate gland is located below the bladder, at the beginning of the urethra, wrapped around the urethra, similar in shape to an inverted chestnut shape, and behind it is adjacent to the rectum.
The first thing you need to do is to clarify the purpose of the examination. In young people less than 40 years old, the incidence of prostatitis is higher, and there is more frequent urination, urinary urgency, vaginal pain and discomfort. The doctor will also clarify the diagnosis based on the results of questioning and physical examination (the examination is mainly rectal examination, DRE).
If a man is not complaining of discomfort, he should only be examined if he is older, if he is over 40 years old, or if he has a close family member with prostate disease, in addition to the above tests, he should also have a prostate-specific antigen test to identify and rule out the possibility of prostate malignancy based on the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) value.
In older men who have difficulty urinating, increased nocturia, interrupted urination, painful urination, and other symptoms of urinary irritation, most often have prostate enlargement, in addition to the above tests, it is recommended that residual urine ultrasound, urinary flow rate, and urodynamic tests be performed to determine whether there is urinary obstruction.
If acute bacterial prostatitis is considered, the patient has high fever and should have urine, blood, calcitonin, C-reactive protein, and PSA tests.