[Can indexes based on PSA determine which patients should undergo repeated ultrasound-guided transrectal prostatic biopsy? Study on 546 patients who underwent repeated biopsy].

Objectives: Ultrasound guided prostate biopsy is the most effective test for prostate cancer diagnosis, but its sensitivity is not higher than 80% so that biopsy repetition must be considered in patients with persistent diagnostic doubts after a previous negative one. However, the majority will be negative as it happened in the first biopsy and the percentage of normal biopsies increases successively. Various indexes based on PSA are proposed to determine which patients have a higher risk of cancer detection by biopsy.

[Comparison of prostate volume measured by transrectal and abdominal echography and its implication for the measurement of the PSA density for the diagnosis of prostate cancer].

Objective: To compare PSA density (PSAD) results based on prostate volume measurements obtained by either transrectal or abdominal ultrasound (US) in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Methods: We prospectively selected 420 consecutive subjects whom at the time of a transrectal US (TRUS) guided biopsy or an abdominal US had the other US evaluation done within the previous 6 months and who did not undergo hormonal, surgical o radiotherapeutic therapy. For both abdominal and transrectal US PSAD (PSA/volume) were obtained from this data and compared, with volumes calculated using the formula: V = antero-posterior diameter2 x transverse diameter/2.

[Complications of prostatic echo-guided transrectal biopsy and tolerance depending on the patient and the operator. Study of 205 patients].

Objective: Ultrasound-guided transrectal biopsy of the prostate is generally considered to be well-tolerated and with few complications. The results of a prospective study that evaluated patient and biopsy performer's perception of the foregoing aspects are presented.

Methods: The records of 305 consecutive patients submitted to ultrasound-guided transrectal biopsy were analyzed.