A prostate abscess is a serious medical condition.  Bacterial prostatitis is a condition where bacteria infect the prostate. The prostate, as you know, is a gland that is part of the male reproductive system. Unfortunately, the prostate is not easily accessible or viewable as it is located in the pelvis. The best way to assess is through the rectum. Therefore, when someone has pain and infectious systems in the area of the prostate, the doctor will assume it is bacterial prostatitis and start antibiotics. An abscess is when an infection forms a ball within the organ (in this case in the prostate). This ball walls itself off from the rest of the organ and therefore protects itself from the antibiotics in the bloodstream. This can occur if the prostatitis is not treated early enough, or simply if there are more aggressive bacteria. If this occurs, then the antibiotic treatment will not work. Therefore, after the antibiotic regimen fails, the doctor will assume an abscess. The only way to diagnose the abscess is to directly view the prostate, often by ultrasound through the rectum. It is hard to diagnose an abscess unless the antibiotics fail to treat bacterial prostatitis. The treatment for an abscess is frequently drainage (that is, putting a needle in it). This Is performed through the rectum or through the urethra. Longer antibiotic courses are also needed.