Contracted bladder developing after prostate brachytherapy

This report describes an extremely rare case of severely contracted bladder developing after prostate brachytherapy. In April 2001, a 76-year-old man initially presented to our hospital for weak urinary stream. The patient was diagnosed with and treated for benign prostatic hyperplasia. During follow up, prostate-specific antigen level was elevated. In November 2005, the patient underwent transrectal prostate biopsy. Pathology showed adenocarcinoma, Gleason score 3 + 4 = 7. The patient was diagnosed with stage cT1cN0M0 prostate cancer. In January 2006, he underwent brachytherapy for prostate cancer. The procedure of brachytherapy was uneventful and the patient was discharged without any problems. Four months after the implant, the patient was admitted to our hospital for deterioration of kidney function as a result of a contracted bladder. Urinary culture of tuberculosis was negative and urinary cytology was class II. A urethral catheter was indwelled and the patient has been followed every month for catheter replacement. Bladder capacity is now less than 5 mL.