Prostate gland & seminal vesicles
Nonneoplastic
Clear cell cribriform hyperplasia
Author: Andres Matoso, M.D.
Last author update: 1 June 2015
Last staff update: 23 May 2023 (update in progress)
Copyright: 2003-2020, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Clear cell cribriform hyperplasia
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Epidemiology | Sites | Prognostic factors | Treatment | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Positive stains | Molecular / cytogenetics description | Differential diagnosis | Additional referencesCite this page: Matoso A. Clear cell cribriform hyperplasia. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/prostateclearcellcribhyper.html. Accessed June 2nd, 2023.
Definition / general
- Considered a cribriform histologic variant of benign prostatic hyperplasia / nodular hyperplasia (BPH)
Epidemiology
- Mostly in TURP specimens of men with lower urinary tract obstruction secondary to BPH
Sites
- Transitional zone of prostate
Prognostic factors
- NOT a risk factor for prostate cancer
Treatment
- Similar to BPH
Gross description
- Same as BPH
- On cross section, there is nodular expansion of periurethral area with compression of posterior lobes and urethra
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Numerous cribriform glands arranged in a nodular fashion with variable intervening stroma
- Epithelial cells have a distinctive clear cytoplasm and small nuclei with inconspicuous or small nucleoli
- Basal cells may be invisible in some glands, very prominent in others or form small knots to the side
Positive stains
- Immunohistochemistry for high molecular weight cytokeratin highlights the basal cells, supporting a benign diagnosis
Molecular / cytogenetics description
- Flow cytometric studies performed on 13 cases of cribriform clear cell hyperplasia showed diploid DNA in all cases (Am J Clin Pathol 1991;95:446)
Differential diagnosis
- Clear cell cribriform hyperplasia is considered a mimicker of adenocarcinoma of the prostate with Gleason score 7 or higher
- Due to the cribriform pattern, it can be confused with Gleason score 4+4=8 prostate cancer
- The bland cytology and presence of basal cells in some glands in cribriform clear cell hyperplasia rules out carcinoma
- HGPIN
- Clear cribriform hyperplasia may show basal cells with nucleoli while the luminal cells have small nuclei without nucleoli
- In contrast, the luminal cells of high grade PIN show prominent nucleoli
Additional references
