Pelvic CT findings after radical prostatectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the spectrum of pelvic CT findings in patients who have had radical prostatectomy, we retrospectively evaluated the pelvic CT of 17 patients after surgery for prostate cancer. All patients were thought to be clinically free of local recurrence of carcinoma.


RESULTS
The bladder base was retropubic in 100%, the levator sling was well delineated in its entirety in only 88%, and fat was clearly demonstrated between the rectum and bladder base in only 44%. Unsuspected findings in this group included soft tissue density structures in the resected bed of the seminal vesicles (88%) and a transversely oriented, soft tissue density bar between the bladder base and rectum (53%). A variety of symmetric abnormalities are commonly seen on postprostatectomy pelvic CT.


CONCLUSIONS
Seminal vesical-like soft tissue structures are routinely visualized, and a horizontal bar of soft tissue in the rectovesical space is commonly demonstrated. These structures should not be confused with local tumor recurrence.
Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor 48109-0030.
R M
RM
Summers
M
M
Korobkin
L E
LE
Quint
J H
JH
Ellis
H B
HB
Grossman
H M
HM
Sandler
S H
SH
Mandell
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010388:Pelvis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed