A comparison of seminal vesicle size on CT between autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) patients and normal subjects.
BACKGROUND
Extrarenal manifestations are common in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Although seminal vesicles can also be involved in patients with ADPKD, little is known about the size differences of the seminal vesicles between ADPKD patients and normal subjects.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the size of seminal vesicles in ADPKD patients is larger than that in normal subjects with the use of three-dimensional (3D) CT.


METHODS
Using a retrospective case-control study design, we reviewed the findings of 696 male patients with an age range of 20-69 years who underwent contrast enhanced multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) imaging of the kidney in our institution from August 2007 to July 2008. A total of 68 male patients with ADPKD comprised the study group. Another 68 age-matched non-ADPKD male patients comprised the control group. The size of bilateral seminal vesicles was assessed by measurement of the short dimension on axial, coronal, and sagittal images by the use of a picture archiving and communication system (PACS).


RESULTS
The mean width of seminal vesicles in ADPKD patients was 1.70+/-0.40 cm (axial images), 1.86+/-0.45 cm (coronal), and 1.59+/-0.39 cm (sagittal). For control group subjects, the mean width was 1.53+/-0.29 cm (axial), 1.68+/-0.43 cm (coronal), and 1.48+/-0.31 cm (sagittal). The mean size differences between the ADPKD and control groups for the measured widths on axial and coronal images were statistically significant (P=0.01 and P=0.02, respectively). The width as measured on axial images showed a decrease with age in the control group subjects (linear trend, P=0.005), but no significant decrease was noted in ADPKD patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The seminal vesicles were demonstrated to be larger in ADPKD patients as compared with normal subjects as determined with the use of 3D CT.
Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center and Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Ijin
I
Joo
Seung Hyup
SH
Kim
Jeong Yeon
JY
Cho
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D007472:Iohexol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007690:Polycystic Kidney Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol; C038192:iopromide