title: Prostate capsule: computerized morphometric analysis of its components.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is little objective information on what is designated as being the prostate capsule. We have quantified objectively with computerized image analysis the percentage of smooth muscle fibers (SMFs) surrounding the surgical specimens of radical prostatectomies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten radical prostatectomy specimens were used. Six different parts from prostate lobe were analyzed. Thirty different fields were examined from each tissue section. For tissue sections, different stains were used: hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome, and immunohistochemical staining with antiactin for SMFs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean thickness of the prostate capsule was 0.5 to 2 mm. The mean percentages of SMFs in the different regions of the prostate capsule was 30.6%. No difference was noted between the percentage of SMFs in the prostatic capsule compared with that in the prostate parenchyma itself (30.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides objective evidence to demonstrate that the prostate does not have a true capsule. This capsule represents a fibromuscular band that probably should be considered as the extension of the internal parenchyma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Erasme Hospital, University Clinics of Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sattar
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Noël
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Vanderhaeghen
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Schulman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wespes
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D011467:Prostate / Q000033:anatomy & histology*