Incidence of prostatic calcification in blacks in Washington, D.C., and selected African cities. Correlation of specimen roentgenographs and pathologic findings. Cooperative Prostatic Research Group.

The incidence of calcification in the prostate gland of black men from Washington, D.C., and from Ibadan, Nigeria, and Accra, Ghana, West Africa, was assessed in a total of 874 consecutive, unselected prostate specimens removed at autopsy during a five-year period (1973--1978). In the combined series there was a significant positive association between prostatic calcification and age (p less than 0.001). The frequency of calcification was significantly higher in the Washington, D.C. series than in the West African series at all age levels (p less than 0.001). This difference most likely reflects the different dietary patterns of the two population groups.