prostate Diseases

The prostate is a gland that just belongs to the reproductive system of the cats and the male dogs located below vejiga (the organ that gathers and evacuates tinkles it) and in front of the rectum (the most inferior part of the intestine). The prostate gland produces a fluid that is part of semen. Its mission is to produce an important part of the seminal fluid and has for that reason a direct relation with the reproductive functions.

When they appear diseases of prostate, given the zone where it is located, different urinary problems appear fundamentally, also digestive problems and, although he is less frequent, can appear nervous problems that they impede the normal movements of the animal. The incidence increases with the age reason why a preventive clinical evaluation of the prostate in as of 5 years being able is recommended canine to establish precocious diagnosis, which can be supported by ecográficos examinations, radiological and cytological.
All the races can be affected but they are great those that seem to be involved but that the small ones. The Dobermann and the German Shepherd are a good example. In felines the prostate diseases are little frequent.

More common pathologies:

* Prostate Hiperplasia: it is an abnormal growth of the gland, associated with an excess of masculine hormones in the blood, a very frequent problem in the dogs of more than 5 years.
* Prostatitis: in which there is a bacterial infection of the zone, which produces a severe pain and fever. When the process evolves without treatment they can get to form abscesses (it collects of pus within the organ)
* Prostate cysts: that usually they demand an urgent operation
* Benign tumors
* Malignant tumors (prostate cancer)

Diagnosis
Like in all the cases, the symptoms orient to the diagnosis, with the clear suspicion is due to make a rectal tact. By means of this one exploration the veterinarian can feel the size of the prostate (thing which to our dear friends they do not like much reason why in many occasions will have to sedar it) and know if he is increased of size or no, and evaluate his consistency
An analysis of tinkles will allow to know if there is or not an coexisting urinary infection, and of it tinkles it is possible also to be evaluated the sediment of cells by means of cytology (if previously I am made a transrectal prostate massage exist more possibilities of finding cells)
Other complementary methods that help to arrive at an accurate diagnosis are the x-ray and the ecografía, the ecografía allows to measure the size of the prostate and to discard other diseases in vejiga or the presence of calculations in its interior, also allows the differentiation of local diseases of diffuse, solid cysts of abscesses and tumors, and facilitates the taking of biopsies and inhaled guidances.
The prostate biopsy by means of punción (extraction of cells, weaves or liquid that soon is seen under the microscope in order look for the signs of the disease) is of much utility and a quite sensible test although it is a quite invasive procedure and this contraindicated in prostate abscesses

Treatment
The treatment methods can widely be divided in surgical farmacológicos and, in addition to the x-ray, it is important to consider that all the treatments reduce of temporary or permanent form the reproductive capacity of the unit:

* Procedures surgical commonly related to disease prostate include castration (it is the surgery which it is made to extirpate the testicles and the main masculine hormone source is eliminated), drained of abscesses and prostate cysts.
* Farmacologicos: they include use of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and hormones.
The hormonoterapia is of election veterinary medicine when the owners refuse themselves to the orquidectomía (castration)
* Chemotherapy: The chemotherapy is the drug use that destroys the cancerous cells, therefore it is used in prostate cancer.

* X-ray: x-rays use or another type of radiation to kill the cancerous cells and to reduce the size of the tumors. The x-ray can be used single or in combination with the surgery.

Bibliography

Author: MV Adelaida A. Goldman

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