Incidental findings in pelvic lymph nodes at radical prostatectomy

Aims: To assess the frequency and cause of incidental (non-metastatic) lymph node pathology discovered before or at radical prostatectomy. Methods: Eight hundred and fifty four consecutive lymphadenectomies received between 1988 and 2001 were reviewed. All had been processed and stained routinely. Additional techniques, indicated by morphology, were then performed. Results: Incidental pathology was found in 15 cases: florid sinus histiocytosis following prosthetic joint replacement (eight), non-caseating granulomas (three), small lymphocytic cell lymphoma (two), follicular lymphoma (one), and foreign body reaction (one). Incidental pathology was present in 1.8% of 854 patients who underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy during radical prostatectomy. Conclusion: Awareness of possible non-metastatic lymph node pathology aids histological diagnosis and may be clinically relevant.