THE NORMAL PROSTATE AND PERIPROSTATIC STRUCTURES - CORRELATION BETWEEN MR-IMAGES MADE WITH AN ENDORECTAL COIL AND CADAVERIC MICROTOME SECTIONS

This pictorial essay illustrates the normal prostate and periprostatic structures seen on MR images obtained with an endorectal coil and cor relates them with anatomic structures identified on serial microtome s ections of a frozen human cadaver. The correlation shows that high-res olution MR imaging allows detailed visualization of normal anatomic st ructures. The ability to identify the normal anatomy and to recognize pathologic alterations provides valuable information concerning clinic al decision making for both benign and malignant prostatic disease,