ULTRASOUND ANATOMY FOR PROSTATE BRACHYTHERAPY

Even for surgeons experienced in prostate anatomy, the manipulation of perineally-placed needles into the prostate under the guidance of an ultrasound probe in the rectum can be disorienting. For those embarkin g on ultrasound-guided brachytherapy for prostate cancer, there can be no substitute for experience gained performing transrectal ultrasound examinations. A review of the anatomy of the region is presented, tog ether with images showing how that anatomy appears sonographically. So me of the concepts involved in the role of prostate planimetry for dos imetry planning will be touched upon. Semin. Surg. Oncol. 13:391-398, 1997. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.