TRANSIENT ARTERIOVENOUS-FISTULAS AFTER TRANSRECTAL PROSTATE BIOPSY - DIAGNOSIS WITH COLOR DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAPHY

To assess the prevalence and significance of arteriovenous fistulae af ter prostate biopsy, we performed color Doppler ultrasonography immedi ately after 136 consecutive transrectal prostate needle biopsies. Path ologic results were correlated with color Doppler ultrasonographic fin dings. Arteriovenous fistulae developed after 17 biopsies (13%), all c losed spontaneously within 18 minutes, and none were associated with u nusual bleeding. Carcinoma was noted in 25 biopsy specimens (18%), 10 (40%) of which were followed by arteriovenous fistula. The correlation between malignancy and postbiopsy arteriovenous fistula was statistic ally significant (P < 0.0004), consistent with hypervascularity known to be present in many prostate cancers.