title: Prostatic small cell carcinoma diagnosed by tru-cut needle biopsy: discussion of clinico-pathological findings.
abstract: The small cell carcinoma is a neuroendocrine tumour characterised by an aggressive clinical course and a high mortality rate. It occurs most commonly in the lung. Small cell carcinomas originating in the genitourinary system have been diagnosed with increasing frequency in recent years, because of the use of immunohistochemistry. Prostatic small cell carcinomas present the same biological behavior and similar histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features to small cell carcinomas of the lungs. We describe the clinico-pathological findings in a 65-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of prostatic small cell carcinoma, obtained by means of a tru-cut needle biopsy. We performed the immunohistochemical tests using neuron-specific enolase and chromogranin A antibodies, according to the literature. On the basis of our experience we stress the malignant features of small cell carcinoma and the difficulty in obtaining an early diagnosis and treatment because of the aggressive course of the lesion and the late symptomatology.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di III Clinica Chirurgica, Università di Roma La Sapienza.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iavarone
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forte
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Foti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catania
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sorrenti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vespasiani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Virgili
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Antoni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*