Prostate gland & seminal vesicles
General
Anatomy & histology-paraganglion
Author: Andres Matoso, M.D.
Last author update: 1 August 2015
Last staff update: 1 December 2023
Copyright: 2003-2025, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Paraganglion
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Epidemiology | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Positive stains | Negative stains | Differential diagnosis | Additional referencesCite this page: Matoso A. Anatomy & histology-paraganglion. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/prostateparaganglion.html. Accessed January 13th, 2025.
Definition / general
- Group of neuroendocrine cells derived from neural crest
Epidemiology
- Usually located in posterolateral soft tissue outside of prostate
- Seen in radical prostatectomy specimens and rarely in prostate needle biopsies, or in smooth muscle of bladder neck in transurethral resections of prostate or bladder
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Group of cells with clear, vacuolated or amphophilic cytoplasm with a delicate blood vessel meshwork
- Nuclei may show prominent nucleoli or degenerative endocrine type atypia
Microscopic (histologic) images
Contributed by Andres Matoso, M.D.
Chromogranin A+
Positive stains
Negative stains
Differential diagnosis
- The main differential diagnosis is with Gleason pattern 5 prostate cancer
- The degenerative type atypia in paraganglions is helpful when present; also absence of surrounding prostate glands
- Immunohistochemistry for prostate markers and cytokeratin is helpful
