title: Are hypoechoic lesions on transrectal ultrasonography a marker for clinically significant prostate cancer?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) findings with the pathological characteristics of prostate cancer (PCa).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted retrospectively by analyzing the data for 970 patients who underwent prostate biopsies. Gleason scores and other clinical variables were compared between PCa patients with and without hypoechoic lesions on TRUS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 970 patients, PCa was diagnosed in 291 (30%). Of these, high-grade PCa (Gleason score of 7 or more) was diagnosed in 190 (65%). The cancer detection rate was higher in patients with hypoechoic lesions (43.9%) than in those without hypoechoic lesions (21.4%, p<0.001). High-grade PCa was detected more often in patients with hypoechoic lesions than in those without hypoechoic lesions (p<0.001). Independent predictors for high-grade PCa by logistic regression analysis included hypoechoic lesions on TRUS and abnormal digital rectal examination findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with PCa who had hypoechoic lesions on TRUS had more aggressive pathological disease than did those without lesions. Therefore, hypoechoic lesions on TRUS could be a marker for clinically significant PCa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Il
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: Yoon Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Ji Sung
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Jong Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Jae Heon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Du Geon
authors.initials: du G
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Jae Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
keywords: Clinical marker; Prostate neoplasms; Ultrasonography