Markedly raised serum prostate specific antigen levels. Prostatic infarction rather than malignancy?

BACKGROUND

Though prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostate acid phosphatase (PAP) are of greater value in the postoperative monitoring of patients with cancer of the prostate, high preoperative levels suggest the probability of malignancy. Benign conditions of the prostate are known to raise the serum levels of these enzymes, however, the higher the level of these markers the stronger is the suspicion of malignancy.

OBJECTIVE

This report describes five patients who presented with acute urinary retention and had evidence of prostatic infarction and chronic prostatitis on histology.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of these factors probably accounted for the extremely elevated levels of PSA and PAP as other possible causes were ruled out.