Prostate Gland

#59 Prostate, Adult; 2 sections: Masson and H&E

Examine the Masson-stained section. At one surface, a prominent fold represents the cut surface of the prostatic urethra. Also evident are the elongate tubules forming the parenchyma of the gland and the dense fibrous connective tissue capsule. Locate the region of the prostatic urethra and study its lining epithelium. Compare its transitional epithelium with the epithelium lining the ducts and glands of the prostate, which can be cuboidal, columnar or pseudostratified. The tubulo-alveolar glands of the prostate are embedded in an abundant stroma of fibro-elastic connective tissue, which is interlaced with strands of smooth muscle. Numerous concretions (corpora amylacea) occur in the lumen of the glands and ducts. These tend to increase with age. Fixation is much better in the H & E sections, and it should be studied for the structure of the lining epithelium of the glands.