Mast cell profile in prostatic lesions.

Mast cell profile in common prostatic lesions was analysed in this study. 17B consecutive prostatic biopsy specimens specimens were categorised broadly into nodular hyperplasia without prostatitis (101), nodular heperplasia with prostatitis (50, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (2) and adenocarcinoma (25). Toluidine blue stain (0.1%) was used to demonstrate the mast cells and their count was expressed per square millimeter. Mast cell count was significantly higher in the fibromuscular stroma when compared to the glandular areas in nodular hyperplasia (p < .05). The mast cell counts were very significantly lower in inflammatory lesions (p < 0.0001) probably due to degranulation. Absence or a low count was the most significant finding in adenocarcinoma irrespective of the grade of the tumour with concentration of mast cells around the tumour. This study shows the variations in mast cell distribution in commonly encountered prostatic lesions. There is paucity of such studies in the literature and the possible utility of mast cell count to differentiate malignant from benign and atypical conditions needs further evaluation.