Inhibitory effects of portal cirrhosis of liver on prostatic enlargement.

Abstract

BENIGN prostatic hypertrophy is a very common disease in men over 50 years of age, 1 but little is known of the precise cause of this disorder. Various theories have been promulgated, but most of them have been untenable. Today most authorities believe that the cause may be hormonal imbalance. There is abundant evidence that cirrhosis of the liver is often accompanied by hormonal abnormalities. Testicular atrophy, loss of body hair, change in pubic hair distribution, loss of libido, and, at times, gynecomastia have been described in cases of hepatic cirrhosis. 2 It is thought by many that these are secondary changes, caused by the inability of the damaged liver to metabolize estrogenic hormones properly. 3 Whether the derangement of hepatic physiology involves other hormones is not clearly established, but various investigators believe that factors such as pituitary, adrenal, and testicular function deserve consideration. 4 No direct evidence has been presented to suggest that