TRANSRECTAL ULTRASOUND APPEARANCE OF HEMATOLYMPHOID MALIGNANCIES INVOLVING THE PROSTATE

Objectives. Although the clinical presentation and physical examinatio n findings in patients with lymphoma or leukemia involving the prostat e have been described previously, the transrectal ultrasound appearanc e of hematolymphoid malignancies involving the prostate has not been p reviously described. Methods. Nine patients with prostate cancer diagn osed by transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies were found to have hematolymphoid malignancies involving the prostate at the time of subsequent radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection. Th e ultrasound images and prostate needle biopsy results are presented. Results. Prospective analysis of transrectal ultrasound images reveale d no abnormality other than hypoechogenicity typical of prostate cance r in 7 of the 9 patients (77.8%). In 2 patients, the ultrasound images were free of any abnormalities. In 2 of the 9 patients (22.2%), the p rostate needle biopsies demonstrated suspicious lymphocytic infiltrate in addition to prostate cancer. Conclusions. Transrectal ultrasound d oes not detect hematolymphoid malignancies involving the prostate. Ult rasound-guided biopsies of the prostate have a very low rate of detect ing these malignancies. (C) 1998, Elsevier Science Inc. All rights res erved.