Fine structure and mineral components of primary calculi in some human prostates

Abstract

The fine structure of prostatic calculi has not been elucidated yet, although the chemical components were reported in detail. We studied the primary or endogenous calculi removed from eight human prostates by secondary scanning electron microscopy, backscattered electron imaging, energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis and X-ray diffraction. The primary calculi containing Mg, Zn and S, besides Ca and P were basically classified into four stone groups (I-IV) by fine structure and mineral components. Stone I had the core deposits of calcospherites showing concentric rings and the laminated deposits concentrically around the core. Their deposits were identified as apatite. Stone II was occupied with the calcospherite deposits of apatite although the stone growth showed a rough concentric formation. Stone III contained the core of calcospherites and concentric laminated structures, similar to a smaller type of group I, whereas the wider peripheral region was deposited with needle-like structures, identified as calcium oxalates. Stone IV had the core deposits containing small hexahedral structures, identified as whitlockite, which were surrounded with several incompletely concentric laminated bands of apatite. Whitlockite crystals were also found between the fused large calculi. The initial and formative calculi were basically observed as the deposition of mineralizing spherical structures suggesting variously sized corpora amylaceous bodies. Thus, the primary prostatic calculi of stones I-III will begin from the mineralization of amylaceous bodies as a core, while the organic substances, which form stone IV, might be derived from the simple precipitation of prostatic secretion.

Acute inflammatory proteins constitute the organic matrix of prostatic corpora amylacea and calculi in men with prostate cancer

“…We hypothesized that the determination of the crystalline and protein composition of prostatic CA and PC would give important insight into their biogenesis. The results of previous studies of the crystalline composition of PC using both x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy are varied and indicate a prevalence of either i) carbonate apatite and calcium phosphate in the form of whitlockite (18,19) or ii) calcium phosphate in the form of hydroxyapatite (20)(21)(22). These studies have focused almost exclusively on PC, and in the present study we sought to determine if CA also contain a crystalline component.…”

Prostate endogenous calculi in a dog

“…A 18-year-old male intact mongrel dog, weighing 9 kg, was et al, 2008;HWANG et al, 2010;HURTES et al, 2013), however, any disease process that can cause urinary calculi can also cause prostate calculi (HURTES et al, 2013 …”

Fibrous Calcareous Concretions in the Capsules of Human Pineal Glands

“…Conventional secondary scanning electron SE micrographs and composite BSE images of the cut surfaces of the ground pineal glands or the cut surfaces of pineal concretions themselves were photographed with an SEM operated at 15 20 keV after carbon coating. The areas possessing higher molecular-weight elements in biological materials show higher BSE signals in the uneven planes of natural surfaces 14 and fractured surfaces 15 , as well as the ground smooth planes 8,11 .…”