Diagnostic dilemma in histopathology report following robot assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: tumour 'hide and seek'.
BACKGROUND
Widespread PSA (prostate specific antigen) screening has resulted in stage migration of prostate cancer. Smaller tumor volumes are being detected in radical prostatectomy specimens. This has coincided with increasing reports about the 'vanishing cancer phenomenon.'


OBJECTIVE
To analyse the cases of robot assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) at our institute in which the pre operative prostate biopsy was positive for adenocarcinoma but no tumor could be identified in the final histopathology, and to review the literature for possible reasons for such a phenomenon.


METHODS
Nine patients were identified out of a total of 184 cases of RALP in which the final histopathology did not correlate with the initial biopsy report. The initial biopsy slides as well as the final histopathology slides were reviewed by a second pathologist. The specimens were processed in entirety and additional sections were taken until no tissue was left.


RESULTS
Two patients had cancer diagnosed on TURP (transurethral resection of prostate) chips, while the remaining patients had undergone TRUS biopsy for elevated PSA. The final histopathological diagnosis was benign prostatic hyperplasia in two patients, chronic prostatitis in four patients, and acute florid prostatitis in one patient, granulomatous prostatitis with glandulostromal hyperplasia in one patient and TCC (transitional cell carcinoma) of prostate in one patient.


CONCLUSIONS
Most cases of pT0 are due to inability of routine histopathological analysis to identify minute tumor focus. Urologists need to be aware of this in view of the potential medico legal implications.
Department of Urology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
T D
TD
Javali
P M
PM
Dogra
N P
NP
Gupta
P
P
Singh
P
P
Chatterjee
A K
AK
Dinda
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D001706:Biopsy; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D012371:Robotics