Cells from ejaculatory ducts and seminal vesicles and diagnostic difficulties in prostatic aspirates.

In some smears from prostatic aspirates we have observed atypical epithelial cells similar to those of seminal vesicles; however, the site of aspiration was nowhere close to the seminal vesicles. We presumed those cells corresponded to ejaculatory duct epithelium. To confirm this assumption, we compared the cytology of seminal vesicles and ejaculatory ducts based on smears obtained from 10 autopsy cases. The aspects analyzed were types and arrangements of the cells, cytoplasmic and nuclear features, presence of pigment, and background of the smear. The only differences observed were the greater amounts of proteinaceous material in smears from seminal vesicles and the presence of transitional epithelial cells in smears from ejaculatory ducts. We would like to make pathologists aware of atypical cells from ejaculatory ducts as a source of diagnostic difficulties in prostatic aspirates. This subject has received no attention in the literature.