The abnormal prostate: MR imaging at 1.5 T with histopathologic correlation

Thirteen patients with biopsy-proved adenocarcinoma were prospectively examined with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with use of a 1.5-T superconducting magnet. All patients subsequently underwent radical prostatectomy and careful, axial, histologic mapping of prostatic disease. Histologic findings were recorded on serial, axial diagrams to ensure precise pathologic correlation with the MR images. MR permitted identification of eight of 12 (67%) adenocarcinomas as hypointense foci (relative to the surrounding, higher intensity, peripheral zone); but tumor volume was under-estimated with MR imaging in five of eight cases (63%). Nodules of prostatic hyperplasia were identified correctly in only one of nine patients (11%). These findings suggest that, despite that fact that high field strength MR imaging currently does not depict all pathologic foci within the prostate, it may be of predictive value in the differential diagnosis of prostatic abnormalities when their locations are demonstrable.