Urothelial metaplasia of the seminal vesicles: a report of 2 cases

Abstract Although urothelial metaplasia has been reported in the fallopian tube, urothelium in the seminal vesicle has been rarely reported. We report 2 cases of urothelial epithelium in seminal vesicles from radical prostatectomy specimens. One case involved a 63-year-old patient with pT2c prostatic adenocarcinoma (Gleason pattern 3+4; total score, 7). The other case involved a 60-year-old patient with pT2c prostatic adenocarcinoma (Gleason pattern 4+3; total score, 7; with focal Gleason pattern 5). Representative sections of the left seminal vesicles from both patients demonstrated a portion of urothelial epithelium consisting of 3 to 8 cell layers, which included superficial (umbrella), intermediate, and basal cells. An abrupt transition from the normal single layer of cuboidal cells of seminal vesicle to multilayered urothelium was identified in 1 case, and circumferential urothelium was identified in the other case. No urothelial metaplasia was seen in the prostatic tissue. The histogenesis of urothelial metaplasia in the seminal vesicle is unclear, but it possibly is a reaction to mechanical irritation, inflammation, or infection, as has been proposed for urothelial metaplasia in the fallopian tube and squamous metaplasia of the pelvic peritoneum. Nevertheless, a rare congenital malformation cannot be ruled out as an etiology. Clinical follow-up of patients with urothelial cell metaplasia of the fimbriae suggests that it bears no biologic significance, yielding no instances of carcinoma. However, whether there will be an impact on fertility awaits further study.