Prostate gland & seminal vesicles
Acinar / ductal adenocarcinomas
Atrophic adenocarcinoma
Author: Komal Arora, M.D.
Last author update: 1 March 2012
Last staff update: 7 January 2025 (update in progress)
Copyright: 2003-2025, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed search: prostatic atrophic adenocarcinoma
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Microscopic (histologic) description | Differential diagnosisCite this page: Arora K. Atrophic adenocarcinoma. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/prostateatrophic.html. Accessed January 15th, 2025.
Definition / general
- Proliferation of malignant acini that architecturally resembles atrophy or postatrophic hyperplasia but retains the diagnostic cytologic features of cancer
- Usually NOT associated with hormone therapy
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Acini are round, often dilated and distorted and lined by flattened attenuated epithelium with scant cytoplasm and infiltrative growth pattern
- Nuclear enlargement and prominent nucleoli present
- Atrophic features represent mean 25% of total tumor (range 10-90%) in needle biopsies and prostatectomy specimens
- Usually Gleason score 6-7 (Am J Surg Pathol 1997;21:289, Am J Clin Pathol 1998;109:695)
- Also luminal eosinophilic proteinaceous secretions, blue mucin, crystalloids, apocrine blebs, collagenous micronodules, high-grade PIN within two high-power fields (Am J Surg Pathol 1997;21:931)
Differential diagnosis
- Benign atrophy: no associated carcinoma, small and indistinct nucleoli, basal layer present but may be fragmented
