Prostatic tissue destruction by high-intensity focused ultrasound: experimentation on canine prostate

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been used transrectally to induce intraprostatic coagulation necrosis lesion in the canine prostate. The device combines a firing system (power amplifier and therapy transducer) and a localization system (ultrasound scanner). Thirty-seven dogs have been treated with ultrasound intensity ranging from 720 W/cm2 to 2300 W/cm2 and shot durations ranging from 1 to 4 seconds. The threshold for focal ultrasonic lesions was determined to be 1000 W/cm2 with a 1-second shot duration. Intraprostatic lesions were obtained without any damage to the rectal wall. These lesions were homogeneous coagulation necroses and progressed first to an inflammatory fibrosis and then to sclerosis with cavity formation. Intraprostatic lesions also occurred with a combination of moderate acoustic intensity (720 W/cm2) and longer shot duration (4 seconds). The temperature reached at the focal point of the transducer was 85 degrees C. The study confirms the possibility of creating irreversible lesions in the prostatic tissue through the rectal wall. The destruction of localized prostatic cancer seems to be possible in the near future using HIFU delivered by the transrectal route.