DISTRIBUTION OF LIPOCHROME PIGMENT IN THE PROSTATE-GLAND - BIOLOGICALAND DIAGNOSTIC IMPLICATIONS

Lipochrome pigment is characteristically found in Wolffian duct-derive d structures including seminal vesicles and ejaculatory ducts, The pre sence of lipochrome pigment is helpful in identifying atypical histolo gical patterns of seminal vesicle or ejaculatory duct that mimic prost atic adenocarcinoma. The authors studied the distribution of lipochrom e pigment in 28 radical prostatectomy specimens using a modified Ziehl -Neelson stain and fluorescence microscopy. In all cases secretory epi thelium of the central zone contained lipochrome pigment often in sign ificant amounts (2 to 3+). Secretory epithelium from peripheral and tr ansition zones in each of four specimens (14.3%) contained lipochrome pigment. In addition, occasional examples of nodular hyperplasia, pros tatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and prostatic adenocarcinoma containe d lipochrome pigment. The preferential distribution of lipochrome pigm ent in central zone epithelium adds further support to the hypothesis that central zone glands are derived embryologically from Wolffian duc t (mesoderm) rather than urogenital sinus (endoderm), which gives rise to transition and peripheral zone glands, Furthermore, lipochrome pig ment should not be used as the sole diagnostic criterion for separatin g atypical histological patterns of seminal vesicle and ejaculatory du ct from those of prostatic origin. Copyright (C) by W.B. Saunders Comp any