Bilateral fine-needle administered local anaesthetic nerve block for pain control during TRUS-guided multi-core prostate biopsy: a prospective randomised trial.

INTRODUCTION

Transrectal multi-core biopsies of the prostate can cause substantial discomfort with the need for high dose systemic analgesics. In a prospective randomised trial we investigated the efficacy of fine-needle administered local anaesthesia for bilateral prostatic nerve block prior to transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and eight men suspected of having cancer of the prostate were randomised to receive TRUS-guided bilateral prostate nerve block prior to biopsy or not, when having no history of previous prostate biopsies (groups I and II, n=68). In group III (n=40) all patients with history of previous biopsies exclusively received local anaesthesia injection. Patients routinely underwent a 10-core biopsy regimen. For repeat biopsy 12 cores were taken. The consented patients documented pain on a visual analogue pain score.

RESULTS

In the randomised groups I and II average pain score was 1.85 with versus 3.29 without periprostatic nerve block (p<0.0001). In group III the difference in pain stated for the present biopsy with local anaesthesia nerve block in comparison to the pain experienced with the previous biopsy solely under transrectal lidocaine gel was even higher (1.71 versus 4.59; p<0.0001). Pain relief was independent of the number of biopsy cores sampled. Overall cancer detection rate was 46% (50/108).

CONCLUSION

Bilateral local anaesthesia nerve block prior to multi-core TRUS-guided prostate biopsy significantly reduces pain independent of the number of cores taken.