GADOLINIUM-ENHANCED MRI OF THE ABNORMAL PROSTATE

A prospective study of the use of a low osmolar gadolinium-based intra venous contrast material for MRI of the abnormal prostate was performe d. Eight patients scheduled for prostatectomy, six with prostate cance r and two with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), were imaged preoper atively on a 1.5 T system using a pelvic coil array and employing Gado diamide (0.3 mmol/kg). T2-weighted fast-spin echo (FSE) imaging was al so performed in the same axial planes employed for gadolinium-enhanced studies. Detailed pathologic correlation was performed for the six pa tients with carcinoma. While regions of BPH and cancer enhanced to a s imilar degree following intravenous contrast agent, BPH enhancement wa s more heterogeneous than cancer. No advantages in detecting prostate cancer, in differentiating cancer from BPH or normal prostatic tissue, or in assessing extra-prostatic spread of cancer were observed for th e contrast-enhanced studies compared to T2-weighted FSE imaging.