MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF PROSTATE-CANCER METASTATIC TO BONE

Objective To examine the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in t he evaluation of osseous metastasis in patients with prostate cancer. Patients and methods A series of 36 patients with known prostate cance r, who were undergoing MRI and an isotope bone scan, were studied. Res ults Of 19 positive bone scans, MRI was read as negative for metastasi s in one. Of eight equivocal scans, two MR images were interpreted as positive and six as negative. Of nine negative scans MRI was positive in one. Further MRI demonstrated additional metastatic lesions that we re not shown by bone scintigraphy in six patients. MRI clearly indicat ed the areas of spinal cord compression in five patients with spinal m etastases and associated myelopathy. Conclusion MRI is helpful in the diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer, especially when other radiogr aphic examinations are inconclusive or spinal cord compression is susp ected.