Tadalafil is sufficiently effective for severe chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy of tadalafil for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

METHODS: Tadalafil 5 mg was given each morning for 12 weeks to patients diagnosed as having either moderate or severe lower urinary tract symptoms. Voiding symptoms were compared between patients with a high (≥4; high group) and low (<4; low group) pain subscore of the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index before and after tadalafil administration. The correlation between changes in the Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index and the International Prostate Symptom Score during treatment was also investigated.

RESULTS: At baseline, the pain subscore of the Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index was high (≥4) in 24 of 74 (32.4%) patients. The International Prostate Symptom Score in the group with a high pain subscore was significantly higher than that in the group with a low pain subscore. International Prostate Symptom Score, National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index total score and pain subscore were all significantly improved after treatment. The change in the Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index total score correlated positively with the change in the International Prostate Symptom Score. The decrease in the International Prostate Symptom Score was significantly greater in the group with high versus low pain subscore.

CONCLUSIONS: Tadalafil is sufficiently effective in the treatment of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and severe chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.