Radiology, Vol 179, 41-42, Copyright © 1991 by Radiological Society of North America
Palpable masses in the prostate: superior accuracy of US-guided biopsy compared with accuracy of digitally guided biopsy
MD Rifkin, AA Alexander, J Pisarchick and T Matteucci
Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
The accuracies of digitally guided biopsy versus ultrasound (US)-guided
biopsy of the prostate were compared in 112 consecutive men with palpable
prostatic lesions who had previously undergone conventional digitally
guided biopsy and in which the results were negative for carcinoma.
US-guided biopsies were performed with either the transperineal (n = 51) or
transrectal (n = 61) approach, by means of previously described methods.
All US-guided biopsies were performed within 3 months after the most recent
conventional biopsy. In 44 patients (39.3%) with negative results of
conventional biopsies, the results of US-guided biopsy revealed cancer. The
transrectal and transperineal digitally guided biopsies were equally
inaccurate, and the transrectal and transperineal US-guided biopsies showed
no statistically significant differences in accuracy. The patients accepted
and tolerated both US techniques equally well; neither technique was
associated with significant complications. It is concluded that all
patients with a palpable nodule should undergo US- guided biopsy if the
result of conventional digitally guided biopsy is negative for cancer and
the diagnostic US scan suggests an abnormality.
