Prostate gland

Structure

The prostate is a six-sided amalgamation of glandular and fibromuscular tissue that resides in the pelvic cavity. The typical dimensions of a healthy prostate are 4 x 3 x 2 cm (its width being the greatest), while weighing about 20 grams.

It is encapsulated by a true internal connective tissue capsule and a false external capsule, which is a continuation of the pelvic fascia. Its base sits at the neck of the urinary bladder, surrounding the proximal portion of the urethra. The urethra courses through the prostate (known here as the prostatic urethra) and exits inferiorly at the apex.

The prostate was previously described as being a lobular organ. Subsequent exploration of its anatomy has resulted in it now being divided into specific anatomical zones, rather than lobes. There are three zones of the prostate, namely the

• peripheral zone
• transition zone
• central zones

Histology

The hallmark histological feature of the prostate is the myoelastic/fibromuscular stroma in which there are clusters of smooth muscles mixed with elastic fibers. This surrounds the glandular tissue/parenchyma of the prostate, which is responsible for the production of approximately 27% of seminal fluid. Prostatic glands, under the directives of 5-α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), secrete a 'spermatozoon-friendly' acidic mixture of enzymes (prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostatic acid phosphatase, fibrinolysin, and amylase), citric acid and zinc into the prostatic sinuses (grooves lateral to the luminal aspect of the seminal colliculi).

Prostatic glands vary widely in size and have lumens that are lined by connective tissue folds. The connective tissue foldings result in the acini appearing highly irregular. Generally, they are lined by simple columnar or pseudostratified epithelium. Prostatic concretions (precipitations of prostatic glandular secretions) can also be found in the lumen of prostatic glands and are indicative of the age of the patient, as their frequency increases with age.

The presence of the prostatic urethra is also a key histological feature of the prostate. It has a horseshoe appearance (courtesy of the verumontanum), and epithelial projections thanks to the highly folded transitional epithelial layer. Posterior to the concavity of the prostatic urethra, the ejaculatory ducts and the prostatic utricle (blind ended duct along the midline of the verumontanum) can also be appreciated within the stroma of the prostate.

Blood supply

The prostate receives arterial blood by way of three major vessels:

• internal pudendal artery
• inferior vesical artery
• middle rectal arteries.

The middle rectal and inferior vesical arteries arise from a common branch of the internal iliac artery. While the middle rectal artery only gives a few unnamed branches to the prostate, the inferior vesical artery gives a main branch to the urinary bladder and one to the prostate. The branch to the prostate then subdivides into two groups of arteries; one group primarily supplies the urethra and deep parts (urethral branches) while another group supplies the capsule and peripheral parts (capsular branches). The pudendal artery travels in the pudendal canal to supply the prostate and other pelvic and reproductive structures.

Initially, a prostatic venous plexus lies between the true and false capsules of the prostate. They subsequently drain to the prostatic venous plexus receives at the anterolateral part of the prostate . This plexus also receives deoxygenated blood from the deep dorsal vein of the penis and subsequently drains to the inferior vesical vein, which in turn drains to the internal iliac vein.

Innervation

The prostate is innervated by parasympathetic fibers of the pelvic splanchnic nerves by way of the prostatic plexus, which receives its fibers from the inferior hypogastric plexus (for erection and secretomotor of acini). The inferior hypogastric plexus also receives preganglionic sympathetic fibers from the superior hypogastric plexus to provide motor innervation to the smooth muscles of the stroma of the prostate (for ejaculation and smooth muscle contraction).

Lymphatic drainage

The posterior lobe of the prostate is drained via three primary pathways:

• A lateral pathway which drains to the external iliac lymph nodes . These lymph vessels also drain the terminal portion of the ductus deferens, and seminal glands.
  
• A laterodorsal pathway, which drains into the internal iliac nodes, via a course following the prostatic artery
  
• And finally a dorsal pathway, which drains to the sacral lymph nodes as well as the promontorial common iliac lymph nodes.
  

Lymph drained from the anterior lobe of the prostate can be traced via two routes:

• The majority of lymph drained from the anterior surface proceeds to the external iliac lymph nodes, via the paravesical space.
  
• Alternatively, some vessels from the anterior lobe leave the prostate from the posterior surface, draining into the a group of nodes known as inferior gluteal lymph nodes, which are part of the internal iliac lymph nodes.
  

(Note: Both the external and internal iliac nodes drain to the common iliac nodes, which subsequently drain into the right & left lumbar nodes)

Important to note is that many of the lymph vessels of the prostate anastomose with their counterparts of several neighbouring organs, for example of the urinary bladder and rectum. This can have important clinical implications, especially in cases of prostate cancer.

Structural relations

As was previously mentioned, there are six sides to the prostate, each having distinct anatomical landmarks related to them.

• The base, which is the most superior aspect, is immediately related to the urinary bladder and the internal urethral sphincter muscles. Posterosuperiorly, the base is related to the seminal vesicles and the inferior part of the retrovesical portion of the rectovesical space (this is different from the rectovesical pouch within the pelvic peritoneal cavity).
• The apex is located at the inferior aspect of the organ. Its inferior relations include the bulbourethral (Cowper’s) glands, the external urethral sphincter muscles, and the retroprostatic part of the rectovesical space.
• The anterior part of the prostate is adjacent to the retropubic space of Retzius (which is bordered by the posterior part of the pubic symphysis).
• Posteriorly, the rectovesical fascia (of Denonvillier) courses from the apex of the rectovesical pouch (in the pelvic peritoneum) to the apex of the prostate. It divides the rectovesical space into its three parts, the third of which is the prerectal space. The distal rectum is also posteriorly related to the prostate.
• Finally, the pubourethralis portions of the levator ani muscles lie adjacent to both inferolateral surfaces of the prostate.