title: Abnormal signal intensities of the seminal vesicles in a screening population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the incidence of abnormal signal hyperintensity on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the seminal vesicles in a screening population in order to compare clinical indicators between subjects with and without signal abnormality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Signal intensity of the seminal vesicles on T1-weighted images and clinical examinations were investigated in 3570 examinations of 1865 male subjects (mean age 54.8 years, range 23-86 years at the first examination).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Abnormal signal hyperintensity was observed at least once in 32 subjects (1.7%). Subjects with the abnormality were significantly older (average age with and without the abnormality, 64.1 vs. 54.6, respectively, P < 0.001), and the incidence of abnormality increased with increasing age (0% for the age group <40, 0.3% for 40-49, 1.3% for 50-59, 2.9% for 60-69, 5.9% for 70-79, and 10.1% for >80). No significant difference was found in clinical indicators except for serum creatinine (1.10 vs. 0.84 mg/dL, P < 0.001). Of 12 subjects with abnormal signal intensity and follow-up data, the finding persisted on the same side for at least 11 months in seven subjects (58%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abnormal signal intensity of the seminal vesicles was observed in 1.7% of screening population, and the imaging finding in isolation is unlikely to have clinical significance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Computer Diagnostic Radiology and Preventive Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katsura
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gonoi
authors.forename: Takeharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohtsu
authors.forename: Kuni
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohtomo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: genitalia; hemospermia; magnetic resonance imaging; male; seminal vesicles