Urethral catheterisation is often used in acute urinary retention (AUR). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of urethral catheterisation on serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in men with AUR. Our study subjects comprised 35 men with a mean age of 63.7 +/- 7.35 years (range 55-80) who presented with AUR at our department between March 1999 and June 2000. Patients were randomly divided into two groups; 18 patient sunderwent urethral catheterisation in the first group (catheterisation group), while 17 underwent suprapubic percutaneous cystostomy in the second group (cystostomy group). Serum PSA levels before manipulation, and 2 and 12 hours and 7 days after treatment were determined. The change in median PSA values after manipulation was statistically significant in the catheterisation group (p< 0.05), but not in the cystostomy group (p> 0.05). The change in serum PSA was not clinically important in any of the patients. These results suggested that urethral catheterisation did not cause a significant alteration in serum PSA in men with AUR retention.
Acute Disease ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Human ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/*blood ; *Urinary Catheterization ; Urinary Retention/*blood/*therapy