THE ROLE OF INTRAVENOUS CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT IN MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING OF PROSTATIC-CARCINOMA

Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been shown to be a promi sing technique for staging prostatic carcinoma, its accuracy in detect ion of extraprostatic spread and seminal vesical invasion is subject t o considerable error. The role of dynamic MRI, following bolus intrave nous contrast medium, in depicting carcinoma of the prostate was evalu ated and the information provided by this technique compared with unen hanced images. Spin-echo T1-weighted, T2-weighted, bolus contrast enha nced and delayed post-contrast enhanced T1-weighted images were obtain ed in 20 patients with histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the pro state. Tumour was identified in all of the patients studied. When comp ared with unenhanced and delayed post-contrast enhanced images, dynami c bolus contrast enhanced images enabled the best definition of tumour within the gland in 50% of patients and demonstrated extracapsular sp read more clearly in 80% of patients. It is concluded that dynamic bol us contrast enhancement may be useful in selected patients with prosta tic carcinoma by enabling tumour margins to be depicted more clearly.