Prostatic infarction/infection in acute urinary retention secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia

Purpose: We assess the role of acute prostatic infarction and prostatic inflammation in causing acute urinary retention in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Materials and Methods: A prospective controlled clinicopathological study was undertaken comparing 35 patients who presented with acute urinary retention secondary to BPH with another 35 patients with symptomatic BPH. All 70 patients were treated with transurethral resection. The prostatic chips in each group were examined by 1 histopathologist, who was unaware of the clinical presentation of the patient, for changes of infarction, acute and chronic inflammation, and predominant histological pattern. Results: There was a higher incidence of glandular pattern in the retention group compared to a stromal pattern in the control group, which was statistically significantly different (p < 0.001). A 5-fold higher incidence of prostatic carcinoma was noted in the acute retention group, which was also statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Prostatic infarction and inflammation had no role in the etiology of acute urinary retention due to BPH.