[Sonography of the prostate]

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Medical Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) utilizes high-frequency probes (approx. 7 MHz) for detailed imaging of prostate zonal anatomy.
• Prostate diseases often cause characteristic changes detectable via ultrasound.
• Early detection and accurate staging of prostate cancer are critical for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic capabilities of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) in identifying prostate carcinoma and other prostatic diseases.
• To assess the accuracy of TRUS in preoperative staging of prostate cancer.
• To determine the efficacy and safety of TRUS-guided biopsies compared to traditional methods.

Main Methods:

• High-frequency (7 MHz) transrectal ultrasound probes were employed for imaging the prostate.
• TRUS was used to identify hypoechoic lesions characteristic of prostate carcinoma.
• TRUS-guided transrectal biopsies were performed using semi-automatic systems.

Main Results:

• TRUS diagnosed prostate carcinoma more frequently than digital rectal palpation, including ventrally located tumors.
• Preoperative staging accuracy using TRUS surpassed other available methods.
• TRUS-guided biopsies were found to be safe, complication-free, and more accurate than digitally guided biopsies.
• Precise evaluation of adenoma volume and malignancy was achieved.
• Characteristic echogenicity changes allowed for the diagnosis of prostatitis and/or vesiculitis.

Conclusions:

• Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is a highly effective tool for diagnosing prostate cancer and assessing its stage.
• TRUS enables accurate differentiation of benign and malignant prostate conditions, including BPH and inflammatory processes.
• The diagnostic reliability of TRUS is significantly dependent on the expertise of the examiner.