Latent prostatic carcinomas found at autopsy in men over 90 years old

Step-sections of 29 whole prostate glands obtained at autopsy from elderly men aged 90 years or over have been investigated. Latent prostatic carcinomas were found in 17 cases (58.6%), all in the peripheral region. The majority of these latent prostatic carcinomas in very old individuals were considered to correspond to stage A1 tumors since, in 75% of cases, the diameter was less than 1 cm. Benign nodular hyperplasia and atypical hyperplasia were also observed in 26 (89.7%) and 14 cases (48.3%), respectively. There was a clear correlation between the appearance of atypical hyperplasia and the presence of latent prostatic carcinoma.