title: Prostate biopsy: results and advantages of the transperineal approach--twenty-year experience of a single center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Detection rate for prostate cancer (PCa) and complications following transperineal prostate biopsy (TPBx) were reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 1991 to December 2012, 4,000 men underwent TPBx; from 1991 to 2001, the patients underwent biopsy for suspicious DRE or PSA values >4 ng/mL; moreover, from 2002, the indications were abnormal DRE, PSA >10 ng/mL, PSA values between 4.1 and 10, 2.6 and 4 and <2.5 ng/mL with F/T PSA <25, <20 <15 %, respectively. In case of initial biopsy, the number of needles cores increased from 6 (1991-1996) to 12 (1997-2012) and 18 cores (2002-2012); in case of repeat biopsy, since 2005 a saturation biopsy (SPBx) with >24 cores was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, PCa, normal parenchyma, HGPIN and ASAP were found in 1,379 (34.5 %), 2,400 (60 %), 175 (4.4 %) and 46 (1.1 %) patients, respectively; in case of initial TPBx, the scheme at 18 showed a greater PCa detection in comparison with scheme at 6-12 cores (p < 0.05). In case of repeat biopsy, a higher detection of microfocus of cancer was found performing a SPBx; moreover, 15 % of cancers were localized in the anterior zone. Incidence of hemospermia and urinary retention were correlated with the number of needle cores resulting equal to 30.4 versus 11.1 % in case of SPBx (p < 0.05); moreover, none developed sepsis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transperineal prostate biopsy (TPBx) resets the risk of sepsis; moreover, in case of repeat SPBx, the transperineal approach detects a high number of significant PCa localized in the anterior zone (15 % of the cases).
authors.affiliation: Urology Unit, Cannizzaro Hospital, Via Messina 829, Catania, Italy, piepepe@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pepe
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aragona
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D062005:Biopsy, Large-Core Needle / Q000379:methods*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D051517:Digital Rectal Examination; D006801:Humans; D007610:Kallikreins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D019048:Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: C549870:KLK3 protein, human; D007610:Kallikreins; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen