A prospective, randomized, double-blind trial to evaluate the role of a short reducing course of oral corticosteroid therapy in the treatment of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Objectives: To assess the validity of our observational experience that a short course of oral prednisolone therapy might be of value in the management of symptoms of chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) in men.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-one men with CPPS (inflammatory or non-inflammatory) for > or =6 months, and who had failed to improve with standard antibiotic therapy, were randomized to receive either a 1-month reducing course of oral prednisolone (nine) or an equivalent placebo regimen (12 men). The outcome measures used were the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), General Health Questionnaire-30 (GHQ-30) and the National Institute of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), which were completed at baseline and 3 months.