Objective: To investigate the incidence and characteristics of infectious complications following transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostatic biopsy, based on lab culture, treatment and outcome.
Methods: Nine hundred and forty-seven patients who underwent TRUS guided prostatic biopsy in our hospital between Feb. 2005 and Nov. 2008. These patients were treated with 400mg norfloxacin orally twice daily for three days and 400mg arilin three times daily for five days, both beginning 8~12h before biopsy. After one month, the patients were assessed regarding their symptomatology and post-biopsy complications.
Results: Fifty-three out of these cases presented infectious complications. Fever (>37.5ºC) was the most common type (36 cases, 3.8%) with the highest temperature of (38.6±0.5) ºC. They were treated with Quinolone i.v. and arilin orally. After (5.21±3.37) days the temperature came to normal. Urinary tract infection occurred in 12 patients (1.3%) and they were treated with Quinolone. Orchitis and epididymitis occurred in three patients. One case was treated with symptomatic treatment and the other two cases were treated with orchiectomy. The presence of prostate cancer is a risk factor for infectious complications (p < 0.05). Age, the volume of the prostate, PSA, diabetes mellitus, WBC Count and number of samples were not correlated with postbipsy infections.
Conclusions: Infectious complications may occure after TRUS guided prostatic biopsy, but it’s very sensitive to Quinolone and arilin. TRUS guided prostatic biopsy still is a safe and effective method for diagnosing prostatic diseases.

Keywords: Endosonography; Prostatic diseases; Biopsy, needle; Infection