A novel approach to the characterization of whole prostate pathology in glycol methacrylate.

The controversial and subjective nature of the classification of many prostatic lesions and the increasing recognition that lesions that occur in different topographical regions or zones of the prostate may differ in their biological behavior suggest that new approaches are needed to increase our understanding of the biology of prostatic diseases. The precise recognition and identification of prostatic lesions are prerequisites for studies of their biological behavior. We have developed a novel method for the embedding of whole prostates in glycol methacrylate at low temperatures. Enzyme histochemical procedures that can be conducted with this approach have revealed previously unrecognized features of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and have demonstrated the presence of prostatic lesions that resemble enzyme-altered foci that have been reported and characterized extensively in other organ systems.