Positive margins after total prostatectomy are frequently observed (10% to 40% of cases) in the everyday practice of urologists treating prostate cancer The presence of positive margins is correlated with the presence of residual tumour in about 50% of cases. It is difficult to clearly define optimal management in view of the marked heterogeneity of the published data concerning the significance and prognosis of positive margins. The objective of this review article was to analyse the various aspects of this situation and to propose practical management guidelines. This analysis was based on data of the literature derived from Medline. In practice, it is essential to more precisely define the concept of positive margins in histological terms by specifying the unifocal or multfocal nature, the total length of positive margins and their site. The decision to perform adjuvant or deferred therapy is based on these histopathological elements together with other prognostic criteria determined after total prostatectomy: pathological stage and Gleason score, tumour volume and postoperative PSA.