Short course of dutasteride in treatment of a refractory category IIIB chronic prostatitis (A placebo-controlled study)

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the short-term efficacy of Dutasteride in the management of chronic prostatitis (CP)/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Materials and methods: A randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study was conducted that including 50 patients diagnosed with CP based on the presence of pelvic pain for ≥3 months of the preceding 6 months. Patients were randomized into 2 equal groups to evaluate Dutasteride of 0.5 mg once daily that was given for 3 months compared to a placebo.

Results: Forty-nine patients were evaluated after the follow-up period with no statistically significant difference in the perioperative demographic data. The mean age of the Dutasteride group was 48.3 (range 41-62) compared to a mean age of 46.5 (range 44-60) in the placebo group. There was a highly statistically significant improvement in the Dutasteride group compared to its preoperative parameters and the placebo compared group in the terms of pain, urinary scores, and total National Institutes of Health CP symptom score. Moderate and marked improvement in patients' symptomatology was seen in 56% of the dutasteride group, while only 8% in the dutasteride group failed to show an improvement with no significant side effects noted in our study.

Conclusion: The short-term outcome of dutasteride therapy showed an improvement in the National Institutes of Health-CP symptom score compared to a placebo in the treatment of category IIIB CP.

The trial was registered in the clinical trialgov registry with a registration number: NCT04756206.

Keywords: 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors; Chronic pelvic pain syndrome; Chronic prostatitis; Lower urinary tract symptoms; Prostate.