Objectives: Currently, two premalignant lesions have been recognized: prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH). Due to the possible clinical implications of these lesions, we attempted to determine their incidence in specimens of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the most frequent pathology of the prostate.
Methods: A pathological and immunohistochemical study using several markers was performed to detect premalignant lesions in 156 specimens obtained by adenomectomy and TUR from 1990 to 1992.
Results: 20 PIN and 8 AAH (20.6%) were found. There were other equivocal prostatic lesions, not only with respect to premalignant lesions but prostatic carcinoma as well.
Conclusions: Premalignant lesions within BPH nodules are frequent (20.6%). Furthermore, other lesions were also found that caused difficulty in making the differential diagnosis.