HISTOLOGIC-FINDINGS IN POSTCRYOSURGICAL PROSTATIC BIOPSIES

The increasing use of cryosurgical ablation of the prostate for prosta tic carcinoma necessitates that surgical pathologists be aware of the cryosurgically induced histologic changes in the prostate, Twenty-one patients at our institution underwent prostatic cryosurgery, and 17 su bsequently had follow-up biopsies, The Gleason combined scores ascribe d to the original tumors were 4 (two patients), 5 (six patients), 6 (s even patients), 7 (one patient), and 8 (one patient), Histologic exami nation revealed residual carcinoma (four patients, with Gleason combin ed scores of 4, 5, 6, and 8), necrosis (all 17 patients), hyalinizatio n (nine patients), fibrosis (nine patients), granulomatous inflammatio n (three patients), foci of calcification (eight patients), squamous m etaplasia (four patients), transitional metaplasia (two patients), hem osiderin deposition (six patients), edema (two patients), bacterial co lonization (one patient), and hemorrhage (one patient), The grade of r esidual carcinoma in all four patients was identical with the grade as signed before the cryosurgical ablation, The stroma surrounding the re sidual tumor did not display any postcryosurgical histologic changes, and we postulate that these areas were not adequately frozen, In concl usion, prostatic cryotherapy induces a variety of histologic changes i n normal and diseased tissue.