CARCINOMA OF THE PROSTATE-GLAND - MR-IMAGING WITH PELVIC PHASED-ARRAYCOILS VERSUS INTEGRATED ENDORECTAL PELVIC PHASED-ARRAY COILS

PURPOSE: To compare the performance of pelvic phased-array (PPA) coils and integrated endorectal PPA coils in evaluation of local extent of prostate cancer.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-one men underwent magne tic resonance (MR) imaging within 3 weeks of radical prostatectomy. MR findings of tumor, extracapsular extension, seminal vesicle invasion, nodal involvement, and stage were compared with step-sectioned (34-mm intervals) whole-mounted pathologic specimens. Prospective consensus versus single-reader interpretation (kappa statistics) and PPA versus integrated endorectal PPA coils (McNemar test) were compared, and a ra ting scale of 1-6 was developed for analysis of receiver operating cha racteristics. Statistical significance was calculated at delta = .05. RESULTS: Comparison between consensus and single-reader image interpre tation showed positive but poor agreement (kappa = .38) and no statist ical significance. Staging accuracy was better (difference approached significance) for integrated endorectal PPA coils (77%) than for PPA c oils (68%). CONCLUSION: The integrated endorectal PPA coil is better f or evaluation of local prostatic cancer than is the PPA coil.