Presence of ganglia within the prostatic capsule: ganglion involvement in prostatic cancer.
BACKGROUND
The presence of ganglia within the prostatic capsule (capsular ganglia) is a poorly understood phenomenon. If cancer invasion into or around ganglia is identified in a needle biopsy specimen, such a finding may be diagnosed as an extraprostatic extension. In this study, the presence of capsular ganglia was clarified. Furthermore, we discuss the significance of these ganglia in prostatic cancer patients.


METHODS
The study group comprised a total of 42 patients, who had all undergone a radical prostatectomy for prostate adenocarcinoma with a relatively small volume. After surgery, the step-sectioned radical prostatectomy specimens were histologically evaluated.


RESULTS
In 22 of 42 cases, capsular ganglia were recognized. With respect to the distribution of the capsular ganglia, the ganglia were most frequently observed at the posteriolateral aspect of the prostatic base. Morphologically there were no obvious differences between the capsular and periprostatic ganglia. Moreover, in 3 of 5 cases with cancer involvement into the capsular ganglia, such involvement was not predictive of extraprostatic extension.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of capsular ganglia needs to be clarified in prostatic cancer patients. Our findings therefore suggest that cancer involvement either in or around the ganglia should not be immediately interpreted as indicating an extraprostatic extension, if such a finding is recognized in a needle biopsy specimen.
Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
N
N
Sakamoto
Y
Y
Hasegawa
H
H
Koga
S
S
Kotoh
K
K
Kuroiwa
S
S
Naito
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005725:Ganglia, Autonomic / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery