HEALING RESPONSE OF THE CANINE PROSTATE TO ND-YAG LASER-RADIATION

The objective of the study was to characterize the healing response of the canine prostate to laser thermal injury. The study included 20 ca nine prostates that underwent transurethral laser radiation. The prost ates were retrieved 1 hr after laser radiation in 7 dogs (acute group) , and from 3 days to 9 weeks in 13 dogs (chronic group). Two distinct features were observed. First, reepithelialization of the prostatic ur ethra resulted from mobilization of proliferating epithelial cells fro m acinar and ductal prostatic epithelium into the cavity surface, and not from the edges of the wound at the bladder neck. Squamous cell met aplasia was a prominent feature of reepithelialization. Second, the he aling process in the canine prostate was relatively unimpeded. The lar ge glandular component provided abundant germinal epithelial growth, a nd the absence of stromal elements allowed for complete sloughing of n ecrotic tissue without residual eschars. Further, the lesions in the c hronic group had a tendency to be larger that those in the acute group , suggesting that extended delayed necrosis may occur at deep prostati c tissue layers. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.