BACKGROUND

The association between adult Henoch-Schonlein purpura and prostatic carcinoma is exceptional. We report a new case.

METHODS

The diagnosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma, suspected because of prostatic induration is made after anatomopathological study. The patient has all the clinical (purpura, polyarthralgia), biological (circulating monocmonal IgA), and histological (leukocytoclastic vasculitis, with IgA and C3 deposits) criteria of Henoch-Schonlein purpura too. The simultaneous appearance of vasculitis and neoplasia is known. The association between adult Henoch-Schonlein purpura and malignant neoplasm like lung carcinoma or lymphoma exists too. The initial events leading to the development of these vasculitis could be tumor antigens or abnormal IgA production.

CONCLUSIONS

The simultaneous appearance of these two disease asks here the question of mechanisms implicated in these association.