title: Seminal vesicle masses detected incidentally during transrectal sonographic examination of the prostate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to review the incidence and type of seminal vesicle (SV) masses discovered during transrectal sonography (TRUS) of the prostate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were a consecutive series of men referred for TRUS of the prostate because of lower urinary tract symptoms or elevated prostate-specific antigen levels, who were found on TRUS to have SV masses. Patients with prostate cancer involving the SVs were excluded. Cystic lesions were sampled by fine-needle aspiration and solid lesions by core biopsy, all under sonographic guidance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 450 patients who underwent TRUS between January 1997 and December 2001, 10 (2%) were found to have SV masses; 5 masses were cystic and 5 were solid. Cytologic evaluation of aspirated specimens revealed benign findings in all 5 cysts. Four of the 5 patients with solid SV masses had chronic schistosomiasis, and the mass in the fifth patient was a metastatic deposit from a renal cell carcinoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SV masses may be responsible for lower urinary tract symptoms in a small fraction of cases. A cystic mass is presumptively benign, whereas a solid lesion has a small probability of being malignant, especially if the patient has a primary neoplasm elsewhere. Schistosomiasis should always be considered when making a differential diagnosis in patients who live in areas where infestation is endemic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Al-Saeed
authors.forename: Mehraj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Kehinde
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Makar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003560:Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011467:Prostate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography