Magnetic resonance imaging of prostatic cancer: does detection vary between high and low gleason score tumors?
BACKGROUND
Both Gleason score and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration are prognostic factors for prostate cancer. We assessed our ability to localize cancer lesions based on Gleason scores and PSA values by endorectal coil magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We also evaluated whether the size of the prostate affects tumor detectability.


METHODS
We compared the findings of MRI and histopathological results of radical prostatectomy specimens from 63 patients; they were divided into four groups, based on Gleason score and also on serum PSA concentration. Furthermore, the possible effect of prostatectomy specimen weight on MRI interpretation was examined.


RESULTS
A highly significant difference appeared in detection of cancer lesions based on their differentiation grade. No statistically significant difference existed between PSA groups in detection of tumors, but the large size of the prostate seemed to render image interpretation more difficult.


CONCLUSIONS
Endorectal MRI detects poorly differentiated prostate cancer lesions more accurately than clinically insignificant tumors.
Ikonen
S
S
Department of Radiology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. saana.ikonen@huch.fi
Kärkkäinen
P
P
Kivisaari
L
L
Salo
J O
JO
Taari
K
K
Vehmas
T
T
Tervahartiala
P
P
Rannikko
S
S
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen