The authors publish probably the first biopsy case of signet ring carcinoma of female prostate in a 76-year-old woman. Tumorous tissue infiltrating orifice of the urethra and its surroundings, with periurethral propagation in the urethrovaginal septum and the anterior vaginal wall, produced increasing painful dysuria in the patient. Histologically, the tumor was composed of large cells with characteristics of neoplastic signet ring cells with diastase-resistant PAS positivity of cumulated mucin in cytoplasm. Smaller anaplastic tumor cells with large nucleus and rudimentary glandular carcinoma structures were also present. All neoplastic cells expressed prostate specific antigen (PSA), cytokeratins, vimentin, most of them also carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and some also the prostate specific acid phosphatase (PSAP). Electron microscopy of signet ring cells disclosed numerous mucin granules of different sizes and dense lysosome-like particles with the character of cytosegresomes containing residues of mitochondria. Less differentiated anaplastic tumor cells had unusually large nucleoli in the nucleus, few mucin granules and numerous lysosome-like particles. Since the tumor cells in light and in electron microscopy showed parameters of signet ring carcinoma cells, were diastase resistant PAS positive, expressed prostatic markers, especially PSA, we made the diagnosis of primary signet ring cell carcinoma of female prostate. It seems that this rare variant of male prostate carcinoma may also afflict the female prostate.
UroOncology
Volume 2, 2002 - Issue 4