title: Microscopic diffusion anisotropy in formalin fixed prostate tissue: preliminary findings.
abstract: Diffusion tensor microimaging at 16.4 T with 40 μm isotropic voxels was used to investigate anisotropic water diffusion in prostate tissue at spatial resolution approaching the cellular scale. Nine normal glandular tissue samples were collected from the peripheral zone of six formalin fixed radical prostatectomy specimens. Fibromuscular stromal tissue exhibited microscopic diffusion anisotropy (mean fractional anisotropy range 0.47-0.66) significantly higher (P < 0.01, Student's t-test) than in epithelium-containing voxels (mean fractional anisotropy range 0.31-0.54) in six of the seven normal tissue samples in which both compartments could be measured. Fiber tracking demonstrated principle stromal fiber directions consistent with myocyte orientation seen on light microscopy of the same sample. Diffusion tensor microimaging may be valuable for investigation of variable results from attempts to measure diffusion anisotropy in the prostate in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Lidcombe, Australia. roger.bourne@sydney.edu.au
authors.forename: Roger M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bourne
authors.forename: Nyoman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kurniawan
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cowin
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sved
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Watson
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005404:Fixatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011467:Prostate / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde