Patient preparation for prostate MRI: A scoping review

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Prostate Cancer Diagnostics

Background:

• Prostate MRI is crucial for diagnosing and staging prostate cancer.
• Standardized patient preparation protocols for prostate MRI are lacking.
• Optimizing image quality is essential for accurate interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of existing literature on patient preparation methods for prostate MRI.
• To identify and analyze various preparation techniques, including diet, enemas, rectal gel, and anti-spasmodic agents.
• To evaluate the evidence supporting these preparation methods and identify knowledge gaps.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was performed in MEDLINE and EMBASE from 1989 to 2022.
• Key terms included diet, enema, gel, catheter, and anti-spasmodic agents in relation to prostate MRI.
• Studies were assessed for Level of Evidence (LOE), study design, and reported outcomes.

Main Results:

• Dietary modification and enemas showed improvements in DWI and T2W image quality and reduced artifacts in most studies.
• Rectal gel, particularly with enema, improved image quality and lesion visibility.
• Evidence for rectal catheters and anti-spasmodic agents on image quality was conflicting or inconclusive.
• No studies demonstrated a benefit of enema preparation in reducing false negatives for prostate cancer diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• The current evidence on patient preparation for prostate MRI is limited by low LOE and conflicting findings.
• Most studies focus on image quality rather than the impact on prostate cancer diagnosis.
• Further high-quality research is required to establish optimal preparation protocols.