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Open Access Case Report

Incidental carcinoma of the prostate gland presenting with initial manifestation of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (dic) in a middle aged man: a case report

Ayo A Salako1, Olukayode A Arowolo1*, Emmanuel A Omonisi2, Adewale O Adisa1, Nicholas A Titiloye2 and Kayode Adelusola2

Author Affiliations

1 Department of Surgery, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile - Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

2 Department of Morbid anatomy & Forensic medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University, Teaching Hospital, Ile - Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

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Cases Journal 2009, 2:144 doi:10.1186/1757-1626-2-144

Published: 29 September 2009

Abstract

Background

Incidental carcinoma of the prostate gland is a common clinical problem among elderly males but this malignancy presenting initially with features of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy (DIC) in the African blacks is rare. Disseminateded intravascular coagulathy is the most frequent coagulation disorder in patients with prostate cancer, However DIC as a first manifestation of prostate cancer is unusual.

Case report

This paper reports a case of a 56 year old Nigerian civil servant who presented initially with clinical features of DIC characterised by bleeding from multilple orifices but was subsequently diagnosed at autopsy to be infiltrating adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

Conclusion

This rare case of DIC should be considered especially in elderly men when no other cause can be found for coagulopathy.