Bladder & urothelial tract
Congenital anomalies
Ectopic prostate
Author: Alcides Chaux, M.D.
Last author update: 1 April 2011
Last staff update: 29 October 2021
Copyright: 2003-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Ectopic prostate[title]
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Epidemiology | Sites | Etiology | Clinical features | Case reports | Treatment | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Positive stains | Differential diagnosisCite this page: Chaux A. Ectopic prostate. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/bladderectopicprostate.html. Accessed December 22nd, 2024.
Definition / general
- Prostatic-type glands within bladder mucosa
Epidemiology
- Rare; < 50 cases reported
- Usually in young males
Sites
- Mainly at bladder neck but also trigone and interureteral ridge
- Very rarely at retrotrigone and ureteral orifices
Etiology
- Due to vestigial remains of embryonic prostate remnants, metaplasia in response to chronic inflammation or abnormal migration of undifferentiated embryonic prostatic tissue with hormonal stimulation during adult life (Int J Urol 2005;12:1066)
Clinical features
- May cause hematuria (most common symptom), dysuria, bladder outlet obstruction or persistent urinary tract infection
- May simulate a neoplastic process
- Benign behavior; no reported cases of malignant transformation
Case reports
- 24 year old man with trigone mass (Indian J Urol 2008;24:564)
- 55 year old man with glands appearing to infiltrate bladder skeletal muscle (Cesk Patol 2001;37:65)
- 58 year old man with incidental finding (Actas Urol Esp 2002;26:369)
Treatment
- Excision; may persist / recur if incomplete excision
Gross description
- Firm, smooth, dome-shaped, broad-based polypoid mass
- Flat lesions also reported but very rare
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Prostatic-like glands with luminal secretions beneath partially/totally denudated urothelium
- May be associated with cystitis cystica and cystitis glandularis
- Prostate-specific immunohistochemical markers are confirmatory but not mandatory
Microscopic (histologic) images
Images hosted on other servers:
Prostatic glands with luminal secretion underlying urothelium (right: PSA+)
Positive stains
- Glands: PSA, PAP
- Basal layer: cytokeratin 34 beta E12
Differential diagnosis
- Post surgical ingrowth of prostatic tissue
- Retrovesical prostatic tissue (Urol Int 2001;66:171)
