Journal of Electron Microscopy Advance Access published online on July 2, 2008
Journal of Electron Microscopy, doi:10.1093/jmicro/dfn013
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Fine structure and mineral components of primary calculi in some human prostates
1 Department of Oral Anatomy, Showa University School of Dentistry, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8555
2 RI Laboratory, Tokyo Dental Collage, 1-2-2 Masago, Mihama-ku, Chiba 261-8502
3 EM Laboratory, Showa University and
4 Department of Oral Histology, Showa University School of Dentistry, 1-5-8 Hantanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8555, Japan
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: puku-puku{at}mub.biglobe.ne.jp
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.
Keywords primary prostatic calculi, fine structure, backscattered electron (BSE) imaging, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis, X-ray diffraction
Received 29 February 2008, accepted 15 June 2008
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