[A case of prostatic tuberculosis: usefulness of transrectal ultrasound in diagnosis]

A case of prostatic tuberculosis is reported. A 61-year-old male visited our clinic complaining of urinary retention. On digital rectal examination, the prostate was found to be enlarged, hard, and uneven. Transrectal ultrasound revealed a large hypoechoic lesion in the posterior aspect of the prostate. Transrectal ultrasound guided systematic biopsies of the prostate were performed. The specimens obtained from the hypoechoic lesion, were diagnosed histopathologically as prostatitis with epithelioid granuloma, Langhans' type giant cells, and caseous necrosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected in the physiological saline solution injected into the urethra after prostatic massage. The patient was diagnosed as having prostatic tuberculosis and underwent antituberculotic therapy with INH and RFP. Transrectal ultrasound seemed to be useful in detecting histopathological changes associated with tuberculosis in the prostate.