1995 Volume 86 Issue 11 Pages 1673-1680
(Background) We evaluated the usefulness of 1H endorectal magnetic resonance spectroscopy to characterize prostate pathology.
(Methods) With an endorectal surface coil we have studied 20 individuals with normal (1), benign hyperplastic (9) and malignant (10) prostates.
(Results) The major findings of our studies were that the patients with cancer have a significantly lower citrate-to-choline ratio (cit/cho) and creatin-to-choline ratio (cre/cho) than the patients with BPH (p<0.05). There is well correlation between cit/cho and gland-to-stroma ratio of the BPH tissue as well as histological grade of the cancer tissue. 1H spectroscopy offers the advantages of differential diagnosis between benign and malignant prostates. We, however, failed to demonstrate cancer in 2 cases; the lesion was too small in one case, and out of the region of interest in the other. It is necessary that the foci in the prostate is at least 1.5×1.5×1.5cm3 of the volume in order to obtain genuine spectrogram of carcinoma.
(Conclusion) Endorectal 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy can characterize metabolic differences between the normal and malignant prostate.