# Prostate cancer misdiagnosed as prostatic abscess: case report and literature review

## TL;DR

A 36-year-old kidney transplant recipient was initially misdiagnosed with a prostatic abscess but later found to have prostate cancer, highlighting diagnostic challenges.

## Contribution

The paper presents a rare case emphasizing the difficulty in distinguishing prostate cancer from prostatic abscess in clinical practice.

## Key findings

- Prostate cancer and prostatic abscess can have similar symptoms and imaging features, leading to misdiagnosis.
- Kidney transplant recipients may have an increased risk of prostate cancer, requiring careful clinical evaluation.

## Abstract

As one of the most common malignant tumors in men, prostate cancer (PCa) has garnered substantial research investment from the medical community. However, due to multiple challenges in diagnostic techniques and clinical practice, cases of missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis still persist.

This article presents a case of a 36-year-old male renal transplant recipient (RTR) who was initially misdiagnosed with prostatic abscess (PA) due to perineal discomfort, but was later confirmed to have PCa through surgery.

This case highlights the similarities in symptoms and imaging manifestations between PCa and PA, as well as the complexity involved in diagnosing PCa. Furthermore, the article particularly underscores the significance of being vigilant about the increased risk of PCa following kidney transplantation, employing clinical examination methods judiciously, and enhancing the ability to differentiate PCa.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12894-025-01982-6.