Autoimmune phenomena following prostatectomy

Background: Benign prostatic hypertrophy is the most common benign tumor in males, resulting in prostatectomy in 20-30% of men who live to the age of 80. There are no data on the association of prostatectomy with autoimmune phenomena in the English-language medical literature. Objectives: To report our experience with three patients who developed autoimmune disease following prostatectomy. Patients: Three patients presented with autoimmune phenomenon soon after a prostectomy for BPH or prostatic carcinoma: one had clinically diagnosed temporal arteritis, one had leukocytoclastic vasculitis, and the third patient developed sensory Guillian-Barré syndrome following prostatectomy. Conclusions: In view of the temporal association between the removal of the prostate gland and the autoimmune process, combined with previously known immunohistologic features of BPH, a cause-effect relationship probably exists.