A hospital-based study of prostate biopsy results in Indian males

The prostate is a gland belonging to the male reproductive system. Aging results in the dysfunction of the prostate that may present as inflammation, enlargement, and cancer. Additionally, the diseases of the prostate including cancers are slow in progression, and therefore, it is difficult to diagnose them early. Hence, it is increasingly important for physicians to recommend histopathological examination of the prostate gland to identify, manage, and treat prostate cancers. This study was conducted to assess prostate diseases among biopsy specimen collected from patients with signs of prostate diseases.

This prospective study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Owaisi Hospital, Hyderabad, between June 2012 and September 2014. All gross specimens (n = 300) of the prostate such as the needle biopsies of the prostate, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) chips, and excised specimens of the prostate were included in the study. Histopathological examinations of the biopsies were performed for nuclear size, chromatin material, nucleoli, membrane thickness, irregularity, cytoplasmic granularity, staining, and cell border conspicuity. The biopsies were also assessed for lobule formation, secretions, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, lymphocytes, macrophages, connective tissue stromal cells, their arrangements, and acellular connective tissue material.

Of 300 total prostatic biopsies performed, 56 (18.66%) were identified as inflammatory lesions of the prostate (prostatitis), 98 (32.66%) revealed benign prostatic lesions (benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)), 112 (37.33%) were identified as BPH with premalignant lesions, and 34 (11.33%) were revealed as malignant tumors of the prostate. Chronic prostatitis (67.85%) was the common inflammatory lesion. The majority (91.42%) revealed epithelial lesions compared to stromal lesions (08.58%). BPH was predominantly (28.00%) noticed among patients in the age group of 61-70 years. Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) was observed majorly (53.35%) in the age group of 61-70 years. Most of the prostatic cancers were identified as adenocarcinomas. However, three variants were also categorized as small cell carcinoma, signet ring cell carcinoma, and transitional cell carcinomas.

The results reveal that prostatic adenocarcinomas are predominant among the study population. Additionally, prostatic diseases including cancer are commonly noticed among people belonging to the age group of 61-70 years. More than one-third of patients showed BPH with premalignant lesions, and a majority of the study population showed evidence of chronic prostatitis.