Prostate abscess with acute urinary retention as the initial presentation of granulomatosis with polyangitis

A 50-year-old male presented with acute urinary retention. He also had a history of cough, haemoptysis, exertional dyspnoea, loss of appetite, generalised weakness and left-ear discharge of 1-month duration. Prior episode of acute urinary retention had occurred 2 months ago; diagnostic evaluation revealed prostate abscess, and he had received treatment elsewhere for the same. He also had a history of hypertension. Physical examination revealed fever, pallor, bilateral parotid enlargement and left-ear serous discharge. Clinical examination, imaging of chest revealed consolidation with cavitation on the left side, bilateral pleural effusion. Laboratory testing revealed normocytic normochromic anaemia (haemoglobin 6.6 g/dL); neutrophilic leucocytosis (total leucocyte count 13,100 cells/mm3; polymorphs 87%); raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (110 mm at the end of the first hour); elevated serum creatinine (2.69 mg/dL) and an active urine sediment. Flexible fibreoptic bronchoscopy showed alveolar haemorrhages. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid Xpert MTB/RIF testing, cytopathology were negative. Computed tomography-guided biopsy from the lesion was suggestive of granulomatous vasculitis. Cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (C-ANCA) tested positive. The patient was diagnosed to have granulomatosis with polyangitis (GPA). As arterial hypoxaemia was evident, tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilatory support were initiated. Renal replacement therapy, intravenous (iv) methyl prednisolone and cyclophosphamide pulse therapy and five sessions of plasmapheresis were administered. As remission could not be achieved, iv rituximab was started. On the 36th day of admission, the patient developed septic shock and died. The present case documents the uncommon association of GPA with prostate abscess, acute urinary retention.