[Treatment mapping of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia-an analysis of the Governing Body of German Prostate Centers].

Background: Due to the high incidence and demographic development, there is an urgent need for healthcare research data on lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (LTUS/BPH). Since 2005 the Governing Body of German Prostate Centers (DVPZ) has been collecting data from 22 prostate centers in order to determine the quality and type of cross-sectoral care in particular for LUTS/BPH patients.

Objectives: Presentation of the DVPZ database in general, as well as an investigation of treatment patterns for medical and instrumental therapies.

[Treatment mapping of prostate cancer in DVPZ prostate centers in Germany].

Background: In prostate centers of the Governing Body of German Prostate Centers (DVPZ, Dachverband der Prostatazentren Deutschlands e.V.) treatment data from 3 university clinics, 21 treatment clinics, 3 private clinics and 330 general practitioners incorporated under 22 certificates are collated, in order to document the quality and type of cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary treatment, in particular of prostate cancer (PCA) patients.

Sonohistology - ultrasonic tissue characterization for prostate cancer diagnostics.

A computer-aided diagnostic system for imaging prostate cancer has been developed in order to supplement today's conventional methods for the early detection of prostate carcinoma. The system is based on analysis of the spectral content of radiofrequency ultrasonic echo data in combination with evaluations of textural, contextual, morphological and clinical features in a multiparameter approach. A state-of-the-art, non-linear classifier, the so-called adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system, is used for higher-order classification of the underlying tissue-describing parameters.

A new system for the acquisition of ultrasonic multicompression strain images of the human prostate in vivo.

We describe a novel recording system for the acquisition of multicompression strain images of the human prostate in vivo. The force at the tip of an ultrasonic transrectal probe is measured continuously, and ultrasonic RF-images are acquired consecutively at specified levels of compression. The acquired image sequence is processed by conventional cross-correlation techniques to obtain time shift estimates and corresponding strain images.

Ultrasonic multifeature tissue characterization for prostate diagnostics.

A new system for prostate diagnostics based on multifeature tissue characterization is proposed. Radiofrequency (RF) ultrasonic echo data are acquired during the standard transrectal ultrasound (US) imaging examination. Nine spectral, texture, first order and morphologic parameters are calculated and fed into two adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (FIS) working in parallel.

Ultrasonic tissue characterization for prostate diagnostics: spectral parameters vs. texture parameters.

An ultrasonic multi-feature tissue characterizing system for the detection of prostate cancer is presented. The system is based on the processing of radio frequency (RF) ultrasonic echo data. Data from 100 patients was acquired in a clinical study.

[Ultrasound elastography of the prostate. A new technique for tumor detection].

Aim: Prostate tumours are often of harder consistency than the surrounding tissue. During digital rectal examination, this fact can be used not only to detect hypertrophy but also localized hardenings. The examination by digital palpation is inaccurate and, even in combination with PSA-value and a transrectal ultrasonic examination, the result is often not reliable.