Digital Rectal Exam (DRE)
A DRE is a physical exam of the prostate. The health care provider will ask the patient to bend over a table or lie on his side while holding his knees close to his chest. The health care provider slides a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum and feels the part of the prostate that lies next to it. The DRE may be slightly uncomfortable, but it is brief.
This exam reveals whether the prostate has any abnormalities that require more testing. If an infection is suspected, the health care provider might massage the prostate during the DRE to obtain fluid to examine with a microscope. This exam is usually done first. Many health care providers perform a DRE as part of a routine physical exam for men age 50 or older, some even at age 40, whether or not the man has urinary problems.
References:
Medical Tests for Prostate Problems NKUDIC NIH Publication No. 12-5105 January 2012
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC)
National Institutes of Health
NIH Publication No. 12-5105
January 2012
AUAFoundation - The Official Foundation of the American Urological Association
NKDEP - National Kidney Disease Education Program
NKUDIC - National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases
Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC)Kidney and Urologic Diseases A-Z list of Topics and Titles
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