SUPRAPUBIC VERSUS TRANSRECTAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN ASSESSING THE VOLUMEOF THE PROSTATE AND THE TRANSITION ZONE IN PATIENTS WITH BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA

The reliability of suprapubic ultrasonography (SU) in assessing the si ze of the prostate was examined in 95 patients with benign prostatic h yperplasia (BPH). Volumetric measurements of the prostate and the tran sition zone of the prostate (TZP) performed by SU were compared with c orresponding measurements obtained by transrectal ultrasonography (TU) , A very strong correlation was found between suprapubically and trans rectally performed measurements for both the total prostate gland (r = 0.948, p < 0.001) and the TZP volume (r = 0.953, p < 0.001). Accordin g to the results of this study, SU appears to be as reliable as TU in assessing the size of the prostate and the TZP and may be used effecti vely in the evaluation of patients with BPH, as it is less cumbersome, better tolerated, and a widely available examination technique.