Relationship of the Origin of Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy to Prostatic Structure of Man and Other Mammals

Abstract

It has long been known that benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is a condition that does not affect all of the tissue of the prostate diffusely and uniformly.3,6 Indeed the fact that all the pathologic tissue can be removed by enucleation or transurethral resection and still leave behind a considerable volume of normal functioning glandular tissue indicates that only a single discrete region of the organ has been involved. Although the pathogenesis of BPH has been postulated to depend on hormonal changes, it is generally considered that the development, morphology, and function of the entire prostate are largely determined by hormonal stimulation.19 Hence to explain the focal nature of BPH it may be necessary to hypothesize that different regions of this organ vary significantly in their hormonal responsiveness at the cellular level.