Characterizing prostate zonal shape changes associated with 5α-reductase inhibitors using MRI

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a prevalent medical disorder that primarily affects elderly males. It is distinguished by enhanced angiogenesis of the prostate, aggravating lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and diminishing overall quality of life. Dutasteride, a 5α-reductase inhibitor, has emerged as a significant therapeutic choice for BPH owing to its efficacy in reducing prostate volume. The objective of this study is to analyze alterations in the shapes of prostate zones resulting from dutasteride treatment of BPH, using MRI. We examined 19 drug-administered patients and 33 non-drug-administered patients. MRI sections of all participants before and after drug treatment were collected retrospectively. The transition zone and peripheral zone of the prostate were marked with selected landmarks using TPSDIG v2.04. Generalized Procrustes Analysis was used to analyze shapes statistically. Our results showed that the 5α-reductase inhibitor significantly altered the shape of the transition zone by narrowing its posterior part. There were significant statistical differences between the drug-administered and non-drug-administered groups in the initial and final shapes of the transition zone. These findings indicate that the use of 5α-reductase inhibitors yielded favorable outcomes in terms of prostate size reduction and amelioration of symptoms associated with BPH.