[The anatomic lobulation of the prostate, a controversial description]

Vésalius, in 1543, described, for the first time, the prostate as an unique organ. But, in the 19th century, two schools confronted; for Cruveilhier and Testut, the prostate was made of several lobes, when Cloquet and Sappey thought it as a unique zone. Albarran, in 1902, described the sub-uretral glands. Thereafter, Cuneo, in 1911 and Franks, in 1954, described two zones, one, internal, formed by the Albarran's glands, and the other, external, concerning the whole prostatic gland. On the contrary, Lowsley, in 1912, and Gil Vernet, in 1953, described several lobes, 5 for Lowsley, 3 for Gil Vernet. Recently, in 1968, and 1978, McNeal had made the proof that the prostate is histologically and anatomically heterogeneous, with three zones, transitional, central and peripheral ones.