title: [Malacoplakia of the testis. Description of a case].
abstract: The histological and ultrastructural features of a case of malakoplakia affecting the testis and the epididymis of a 53-year-old man are described. Light microscopy shows a granulomatous inflammatory process, characterized by the accumulation of large mononuclear cells with abundant granular cytoplasm and PAS-positive calcific intracytoplasmic inclusions (so-called Michaelis-Gutman bodies). On E.M., such inclusions appear as concentric lamellated structures with a mineralized core. Although the pathogenesis of malakoplakia is still unclear, an abnormality of the bacteria-digesting function of tissue macrophages, leading to persistence of phagolysosomes, has been postulated. Malakoplakia of testis is a benign entity, which must be differentiated from neoplastic lesions, especially germ cell tumours, and granulomatous disease such as histoplasmosis, mycobacteriosis and idiopathic granulomatous orchitis.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di anatomia patologica, Università di Modena.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fante
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maiorana
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fano
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008287:Malacoplakia / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000473:pathology*
vernacular_title: Malacoplachia del testicolo. Descrizione di un caso.