MRI of the skeleton in prostate cancer staging.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the value of MRI in the detection of bone metastases in newly diagnosed prostate cancer.


METHODS
MRI examinations of the axial skeleton in 76 patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer were reviewed, and the relation of these findings to the serum level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) was examined.


RESULTS
MRI indicated bone metastases in 26/76 patients (34%) in the entire study group, in 4/24 (17%) with serum PSA <20 ng/ml and in 22/52 (42%) with serum PSA >20 ng/ml.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that MRI is a more sensitive indicator of suspected bone metastases than bone scintigraphy in the low range of serum PSA, but less sensitive in the high range. Further studies of MRI and bone scintigraphy in parallel in patients with serum PSA <20 ng/ml are needed to elucidate their relative value in the staging of patients with prostate cancer.
Rydh
Anders
A
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Umeå University, Sweden. Anders.Rydh@diagrad.umu.se
Lundblad
Magnus
M
Ahlström
Katrine Riklund
KR
Tavelin
Björn
B
Stattin
Pär
P
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen