title: Autoimmune phenomena following prostatectomy.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To report our experience with three patients who developed autoimmune disease following prostatectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three patients presented awith 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 andthe autoimmune process, combined with previously known immunohistologic features of BPH, a cause-effect relationship probably exists.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine F, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: Nurit
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tweezer-Zaks
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marai
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Livneh
authors.forename: Ilan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bank
authors.forename: Pnina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langevitz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000601:surgery*