Cs. Leung et Jr. Srigley, DISTRIBUTION OF LIPOCHROME PIGMENT IN THE PROSTATE-GLAND - BIOLOGICALAND DIAGNOSTIC IMPLICATIONS, Human pathology, 26(12), 1995, pp. 1302-1307
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