ANALYSIS OF ARTERIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS OF PROSTATIC CANCER ACCORDING TO TUMOR SIZE CLASSIFICATION

Abstract

Pelvic arteriography was performed in 35 patients with prostatic cancer to assess its diagnostic value for evaluation of tumor extension. Arteriographic findings were characteristic according to T classification of the tumor.
T0 tumor showed dilatation and tortuosity of the inferior vesical artery of the affected side.
T1 tumor showed hypervascular appearance of the artery in addition to T0 arteriographic findings and the middle rectal artery of the affected side was dilated, tortuous, hypervascular and stretched.
In T2 tumor, neovascular and anastomotic findings of the inferior vesical arteries to the unaffected part of the prostate were observed in addition to T1 arteriographic findings. The middle rectal artery showed simular changes to those of T1 and the inferior pudendal artery was hypervascular and tortuous.
Pooling and dense network pattern of inferior vesical arterial tributaries were shown in T3 in combination to vascular characteristics of T2 tumor. Venous phase was delineated at the early time.
In T4 tumor, the superior vesical artery tended to anastomose with the inferior vesical artery in addition to T3 tumor arteriographic findings.