title: Comparison of comfort and image quality with two endorectal coils in MRI of the prostate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively evaluate comfort and image quality of prostate MRI using two different endorectal (ER) coils.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty consecutive patients were prospectively randomized to receive prostate MRI using either a prostate endocoil (PEC) or colorectal endocoil (CEC). Patients and operators were surveyed with regard to endocoil placement. Four Body MRI trained radiologists rated image quality for each examination and additional selected blinded coronal T2 weighted images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average patient discomfort (on a 0-10 pain scale) was greater with the PEC (5.0 for PEC and 2.7 for CEC) with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.03). Ability to identify the neurovascular bundle (NVB) was 5.8 times more likely to be rated excellent with the CEC compared with the PEC (P < 0.003). Image quality with CEC was 3.5 times more highly rated (P < 0.04). In particular, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) with the CEC was 3.0 times more highly rated than with the PEC (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The smaller CEC was better tolerated by patients than the traditional PEC, and resulted in at least equivalent, and in some instances improved image quality. This may result in fewer aborted cases and lead to decreased procedural intolerance to endorectal coil MRI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kodsi
authors.forename: Galina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.forename: Duane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: Alexander C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Kagen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D012007:Rectum; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014159:Transducers / Q000009:adverse effects*
keywords: endocoil; endorectal coil; image quality; patient comfort; prostate MRI; prostate cancer