Prostate gland & seminal vesicles
General
Grossing
Author: Komal Arora, M.D.
Topic Completed: 1 June 2012
Minor changes: 29 October 2020
Copyright: 2003-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed search: grossing prostatic specimens
Cite this page: Arora K. Grossing. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/prostategrossing.html. Accessed January 23rd, 2021.
Definition / general
Needle core biopsies:
Radical prostatectomy:
Systemic sampling (12-13 blocks):
Transurethral resection biopsies (prostate chips):
- Inking of all prostate core biopsies with colored inks, in sequential order, helps maintain specimen identity (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2009;133:295)
Radical prostatectomy:
- Totally embed or systemic sampling (Mod Pathol 2011;24:6, International Journal of Breast Cancer 2012:2012, Article ID 932784)
Systemic sampling (12-13 blocks):
- Ink surface with 2 colors to designate left versus right
- Amputate apex and serial section parallel to urethra
- For base, thin shave or amputate and serial section parallel to urethra
- Submit base of seminal vesicles, margins of right and left vas deferens
- Serial section prostate perpendicular to urethra, submit all gross tumor (look in peripheral zone, posterior or posterior-lateral area for asymmetry in size, color, density between left and right sides)
- Special device may assist in generating sections of uniform thickness (J Magn Reson Imaging 2010;32:992)
Transurethral resection biopsies (prostate chips):
- If specimen 12 g or less, submit all
- If specimen more than 12g, submit at least 12 g
- If unsuspected carcinoma found that involves 5% or less of tissue examined, submit remaining tissue (may increase stage from T1a to T1b)
- Reference: Arch Pathol Lab Med 2006;130:936
Gross images
Images hosted on other servers:
Device to generate uniform thickness of sections in radical prostatectomy
Whole mount sectioning
