title: Visualization of periprostatic nerve fibers before and after radical prostatectomy using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging with tractography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose was to evaluate whether the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technique can visualize changes in the numbers of periprostatic nerve fibers before and after nerve-sparing and non-nerve-sparing prostatectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two prostate cancer patients underwent 3-T magnetic resonance imaging including DTI before and after prostatectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After non-nerve-sparing prostatectomy, the numbers of tracts were significantly decreased at base (218.8±198.8 vs. 60.5±88.7), midgland (124.1±134.5 vs. 32.5±45.7), and apex (103.1±127.4 vs. 29.1±57.1). However, after nerve-sparing prostatectomy, the numbers of tracts were not changed significantly at base (170.5±139.7 vs. 127.7±146.0), midgland (134.3±140.8 vs. 83.7±58.3), and apex (64.1±68.4 vs. 62.3±61.9).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DTI technique may be feasible for visualization of periprostatic nerve fibers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku Kobe 650-0017, Japan. Electronic address: kitajima@med.kobe-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitajima
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku Kobe 650-0017, Japan. Electronic address: stakahashi@med.kobe-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku Kobe 650-0017, Japan. Electronic address: yueno0102@med.kobe-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku Kobe 650-0017, Japan. Electronic address: hideakimiyake@med.kobe-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku Kobe 650-0017, Japan. Electronic address: fujisawa@med.kobe-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku Kobe 650-0017, Japan. Electronic address: sugimura@med.kobe-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D011467:Prostate / Q000294:innervation*; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: Diffusion tensor imaging; Erectile dysfunction; Prostate cancer; Prostatectomy; Tractography