A press cylinder for an extrusion press having a cylinder beam has a cylinder housing fixed on the beam and a piston shiftable along an axis in opposite forward and rearward directions in the housing and defining with a rear end of the housing a pressurizable cylinder chamber. A rod projecting axially rearwardly through the rear wall of the housing is formed with an axially extending bore. A connection block is fixed on the housing rearward of the piston. An axially extending tube in the bore fixed to the block is surrounded by an axially extending sleeve forming with the tube an annular gap, forming with an inner surface of the bore an annular compartment, and also fixed to the block. This is formed with respective passages opening into the tube and into the annular gap.