The prevalence and risk factors of prostatic calcification: an analysis of 68 705 subjects

The influence of prostatic calculi on lower urinary tract symptoms and sexual dysfunction: a narrative review

Prostatic calculi (PC) are commonly found in patients who present for urologic consultation. However, the effect of PC on urinary symptoms remains controversial. In this study, we searched the Embase and PubMed databases for literature related to the following keywords: “prostatic calculi”, “prostatic stone”, “prostatic lithiasis” and “prostatic calcification”, along with the limits, “lower urinary tract symptoms”, “sexual dysfunction”, “erectile dysfunction”, “erectile function”, and “premature ejaculation”. According to the literature, there are various subtypes of PC based on X-ray or ultrasound findings, including type I/II, type A/B, and endogenous PC/extrinsic PC. Furthermore, the formation of PC remains unclear, and more importantly, the ability of PC to cause lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and sexual dysfunction (SD) is worth exploring. We retrospectively reviewed all available literature and found that most studies agreed that PC are associated with LUTS. The factors which may play an important role in the pathogenesis of LUTS include the size and location of PC, induced inflammation, and the blood flow of the prostate. Similarly, SD was also examined in the patients with PC, and psychological factors cannot be ignored in this regard. However, more in-depth study of the molecular mechanisms, including prospective, controlled, longitudinal, and large- sample studies, are needed in the future.

Clinical Correlation of Prostatic Calculi With Semen Parameters in Adult Men With Fertility Intention

To investigate the correlation of prostatic calculi (PC) with semen parameters in men with fertility intention, this retrospective case-control study enrolled 1,303 participants ranging from 20 to 59 years old; 725 were diagnosed with PC using abdominal ultrasonography. Patients with PC were classified into the type A calculi group (discrete and small echoes) and type B calculi group (coarse and large masses of multiple echoes). Five hundred and seventy-eight men without PC were recruited for the control group. The clinical data of each group were collected and analyzed. The total motility was significantly lower for subjects with type B calculi (41.84% ± 17.50%) than for subjects in the type A calculi (51.78% ± 20.84%; p < .001) and control (54.47% ± 20.74%; p < .001) groups. The percentage of progressively motile was significantly lower for the type B calculi (31.66% ± 14.68%) group than the type A calculi (40.17% ± 17.09%; p < .001) and control (41.83% ± 17.05%; p < .001) groups. The results of the hypo-osmotic swelling test yielded significantly lower percentages in the type B calculi group (59.88% ± 17.13%) than the type A calculi (65.28 ± 14.43%; p = .005) and control (66.92 ± 16.12%; p < .001) groups. The type B calculi group had a significantly higher percentage of round cell concentration than control (4.5% vs. 1.0%; p = .007) did. Small and discrete PC may not influence semen quality among adult men with fertility intention, but larger and coarser PC are associated with decreased sperm motility.