Prostate sclerosing adenopathy: A clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study of twelve patients

Although sclerosing adenopathy of the prostate is a very rare benign disease, an effective differential diagnosis is required. Here, we report the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical morphological features of 12 cases of sclerosing adenopathy of the prostate to improve understanding of the disease.

To investigate the clinicopathological features, diagnosis, and immunohistochemical phenotypes that distinguish prostate sclerosing adenopathy from other conditions.

The clinical data, laboratory tests, pathological morphology, and immunohistochemical phenotypes of 12 cases of prostatic sclerosing adenopathy were retrospectively analyzed, and the relevant literature was reviewed.

All patients were elderly men (mean age, 71.7 years; 62-83 years). Eleven of them had hematuria, urinary frequency, urinary urgency, difficulty in urination, and serum total prostate-specific antigen values within the normal range. One patient had increased blood pressure. Enlarged prostates with single to multiple calcifying foci were observed. Moreover, prostate tissue hyperplastic changes were observed in all patients. Small follicular hyperplastic nodules without an obvious envelope, with a growth pattern mimicking the infiltration pattern of "prostate adenocarcinoma" were noted. Basal cells expressed AR, CKH, P63, and CK5/6, and myoepithelial markers, such as calponin, S100, and smooth muscle actin. No recurrence or exacerbation of the lesions was observed, except for one case of death due to bladder cancer.

Prostatic sclerosing adenopathy is highly misdiagnosed as prostate adenocarcinoma or other tumor-like lesions. Therefore, it should attract the attention of clinicopathologic researchers.