[Prevalence of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in Spain].

OBJECTIVE

To study the prevalence of high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in a Spanish population and to compare it with the prevalence in Caucasians of other countries and Afro-Americans.

METHODS

162 prostates obtained at autopsy from Spanish men aged 20-80 years, were fixed in 10% formalin and slices perpendicular to the posterior margin were made every 3-4 mm along its entire length. All blocks were embedded in paraffin and examined microscopically. Mapping of focality and site of the high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia was done for each case. The Wayne University autopsy study was used for comparison of the prevalence in other countries and races.

RESULTS

146 prostates from men with a mean age of 48.5 years were considered valid for histological analysis. There were 42 high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia; 20 were focal and 22 multifocal. By age group, the prevalence of high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia were 7.1%, 14.7%, 28.5%, 33.3%, 45.4% and 51.8% for the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th decades.

CONCLUSIONS

High grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia begins to manifest in the Spanish population after the 3rd decade. It is usually focal and peripheral, and significantly increases with age and becomes multifocal. Its prevalence in the Spanish population is moderately lower than in American Caucasians and significantly lower than in Afro-Americans.