Transrectal versus transperineal prostate fusion biopsy: a pair-matched analysis to evaluate accuracy and complications.

Purpose: To evaluate biopsy-related complications and detection rates of any PCa and clinically significant PCa (csPCa, intended as grade group ≥ 2) between MRI-targeted TP fusion biopsies (TPBx) and TR ones (TRBx).

Methods: We performed a multicentric study on 4841 patients who underwent fusion biopsy between 2016 and 2023. A case-control matching was performed to find comparable cohorts of 646 TPBx and 646 TRBx. Mean T test and Pearson chi-square tests were used to compare continuous and categorical variables.

Results: Baseline characteristics were comparable between the cohorts, except for target location with a higher rate of anterior lesions in TPBx group. Complications were rare and no difference was found between the groups, with similar rates of infections after TRBx and TPBx (N = 5 (0.8%) vs N = 2 (0.3%), p 0.45). All patients in TRBx and 90.1% in TPBx group received antibiotic prophylaxis. A higher csPCa detection rate was found in TPBx over the group (50.5% vs 36.2%, p < 0.001). On average, positive targeted cores were increased in TPBx group, for any PCa (1.6 vs 1.4, p 0.04) and csPCa (1.0 vs 0.8, p 0.02). Among the limitations of study, we acknowledge the retrospective design and the possible under-reporting of complications.

Conclusions: MRI-targeted fusion TPBx achieves a significantly higher csPCa detection than TRBx, with a diagnostic advantage for apical and anterior lesions. No significant differences were found in terms of complications that were rare in both groups, considering a widespread adoption of antibiotic prophylaxis.