24668              CARCINOMA OF THE PROSTATE

The patient was a man aged 72 who had a carcinoma of the prostate diagnosed almost 3 years previously which was treated by oestrogenic hormones. At his final admission he gave a history of 1 week's difficulty in walking with loss of sensation in both legs. Myelogram showed a block at T3 and a spinal cord decompression was performed. After some slight initial improvement the paralysis progressed. He died suddenly from a cardiac arrest.

The specimen is of the bladder, prostate and lymph nodes from the left pelvic wall together with a length of the left internal iliac vessels. The prostate is greatly enlarged and measures 6 x 6 x 6 cms. Its cut surface shows pale fleshy tumour tissue with a few interstitial haemorrhages on the left side. The prostatic urethra is greatly dilated and irregular masses of tumour project from its posterior wall. The bladder is moderately hypertrophied but not infected. The lower ends of both ureters are obstructed by tumour and draining lymph nodes on the left side lying in the bifurcation of the left hypogastric artery against the pelvic wall are obviously involved by tumour. On section there is adenocarcinoma in a prostate which also shows adenomatous hyperplasia.