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Prostate gland & seminal vesicles

Acinar / ductal adenocarcinomas

Foamy gland adenocarcinoma

Author: Komal Arora, M.D.

Last author update: 1 March 2012

Last staff update: 17 January 2023

Copyright: 2003-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed search: prostatic foamy gland adenocarcinoma

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Table of Contents

Cite this page: Arora K. Foamy gland adenocarcinoma. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/prostatefoamy.html. Accessed April 23rd, 2024.

Definition / general

Rare variant with abundant foamy cytoplasm and minimal cytologic atypia (Am J Surg Pathol 2001;25:618, Am J Surg Pathol 1996;20:419, Am J Surg Pathol 1997;21:616)
Usually large volume, bilateral, extraprostatic extension
Foamy appearance due to intracytoplasmic vesicles, not lipid or neutral mucin
Aggressive behavior despite its benign histologic appearance

Microscopic (histologic) description

Abundant xanthomatous cytoplasm, small hyperchromatic nuclei, minimal / no atypia, pink luminal secretions
Hyperchromatic nuclei may make nucleoli difficult to see
Cytoplasm differs between malignant and benign glands
No obvious basal layer compared to normal glands
Foamy morphology comprises most of cancer
Usually Gleason score 3+3=6, occasionally Gleason 7 or higher (Am J Surg Pathol 2009;33:583)
Needle biopsies may have only a few atypical foamy glands (Ann Diagn Pathol 2008;12:349)

Microscopic (histologic) images

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