[Possibilities of using magnetic resonance imaging-transrectal ultrasound fusion in the diagnosis of recurrent prostate cancer].

This paper considers whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) can be fused, by applying an external bobbin with transrectal ultrasound imaging. The author has studied whether imaging fusion can be used to select a targeted needle biopsy (NB) portion if the development of recurrent prostate cancer (PC) is suspected after radical prostatectomy (RP). MRI-TRUS fusion was performed in 11 patients in different periods after RP. All the patients underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and then MRI-TRUS fusion during TRUS studies (TRUSS). MRI-TRUS fusion-guided NBs of suspected portions in the vesicourethral anastomotic area were carried out in 7 patients. A control group comprised 18 patients, of whom 12 patients underwent isolated TRUS-guided NB. The use of the fusion technology was shown to make a simultaneous assessment of the MRI and TRUS images of a vesicourethral anastomotic area in post-RP patients. At the same time, the high accuracy of comparison of MRI and TRUS images ensures the steady position of portions with early intensive accumulation of a MRI contrast agent during real-time TRUSS. Thus, morphologically relevant materials could be obtained in 6 of the 7 patients in the MRI-TRUS-guided NB group and only in 3 of the 12 control patients. Therefore, the use of MRI-TRUS fusion enhances the efficiency of NB in post-RP patients suspected of having recurrent PC. The criterion for selecting a target portion is the abnormal accumulation of a MRI contrast agent.