Morphometric studies of prostates with benign hyperplasia (BPH) have revealed features that may help clarify the disease's natural history and biologic behavior. Hyperplasia arises within a small anatomic region having precise boundaries and containing an unusual juxtaposition of glandular and stromal elements. Diffuse non-nodular enlargement of the transition zone is the commonest morphologic feature of BPH, but nodules show a greater potential for growth and comprise most of the tissue in large (more than 50-gm) resection specimens. Most nodules are predominantly glandular, with features that suggest a pathogenetic role of induction of embryonic-type stroma.