Chapter 13: Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology of the Prostate Gland and Seminal Vesicles
The prostate base is located ____________ and its __________ is positioned inferior
Superior; Apex
The paired seminal vesicles are located _________ to the prostate gland and ____________ to the base of the bladder
Superior; Posterior
Sonographic findings of seminal vesicle cysts:
1. Anechoic or complex cystic structures in the area of the seminal vesicles
The higher the PSA level, the most likely the patient will have:
Prostate cancer
Clinical findings of seminal vesicle cysts:
1. Asymptomatic 2. May be associated with Zinner syndrome (perineal pain, recurrent prostatitis, painful ejaculation, and infertility)
Sonographic findings of benign prostatic hyperplasia:
1. BPH will show an enlargement of the inner gland 2. Can lead to hypoechoic areas within the gland 3. Calcifications within the gland 4. Diffusely heterogeneous gland 5. Cystic changes within the gland
Clinical findings of prostate cancer:
1. Elevated PSA 2. Enlarged prostate 3. Blood in the urine (hematuria) or semen (hematospermia) 4. Back pain, pelvic pain, hip or thigh pain 5. Impotence 6. Decrease in the amount of ejaculated fluid
Sonographic finding of prostatitis:
1. Enlarged, hypoechoic prostate 2. Hyperemia evident with color doppler
Clinical findings of prostatitis:
1. Hematospermia 2. Painful ejaculation 3. Perineal pain 4. Dysuria
Clinical findings of benign prostatic hyperplasia:
1. Nocturia 2. Increased urinary frequency 3. Sense of urinary urgency 4. Constant feeling of having a full bladder 5. Elevated PSA
Sonographic findings of prostate cancer:
1. Varying sonographic appearances 2. Hypoechoic mass 3. May be hypervascular
The prostate is divided into ___ zones
4
Prostate cancer, in the form of _____________, is the most common cancer in men.
Adenocarcinoma
The prostate gland secretes an ___________ ____________ that constitutes between ______________% of the volume of semen
Alkaline fluid; 13-30%
The seminal vesicles secrete __________-based fluid and empty into the paired _____________ ducts
Alkaline; Ejaculatory
Location of the central zone:
Base of the prostate
Benign enlargement of the prostate gland is termed
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
An elevation in PSA can be indicative of some disease processes, such as:
Benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatic cancers, prostatitis, and prostatic infarcts
The second largest prostatic zone is the:
Central zone
Seminal vesicle cysts can be ____________ or ___________.
Congenital; acquired
The periurethral glandular zone is located:
Embedded in the muscle of the proximal urethra
The prostatic zone that is located anterior to the prostatic urethra and is of little clinical significance is the:
Fibromuscular zone
The seminal vesicles appear as ___________ structures between the bladder and the prostate
Hypoechoic
Prostatic cancer can sonographically mimic:
Normal anatomy, prostatitis, and BPH
Location of the transitional zone:
On both sides of the proximal urethra
The largest prostatic zone which is the most common site for malignancy is the:
Peripheral zone
The most common location of prostate cancer is within the:
Peripheral zone
The smallest prostatic zone is the:
Periurethral glandular zone
Location of the peripheral zone:
Posterior lateral, apical gland
Protein produced by the prostate gland:
Prostate specific antigen (PSA)
The ejaculatory ducts travel through the ________ and empty into the __________ at an area called the ______________.
Prostate; urethra; verumontanum
The prostate is a ___________ gland
Retroperitoneal
The ejaculatory ducts are formed by the union of the:
Seminal vesicles and ductus (vas) deferens
BPH is most often located in the:
Transitional zone
The prostatic zone that is the site for benign prostatic hyperplasia and the second most common site for malignancies is the:
Transitional zone
Zinner syndrome consists of:
Unilateral renal agenesis, ipsilateral seminal vesicle cyst, and ejaculatory duct obstruction
