Current role of MR imaging in the staging of adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

Surgical cure of adenocarcinoma of the prostate (ACP) is possible in over 80% of cases when the disease is confined to the gland capsule. The endorectal probe for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has increased resolution of the prostate gland and capsule, which has improved the sensitivity and specificity for staging ACP (.65 sensitivity, .69 specificity for body coil; .87 sensitivity, .85 specificity for the endorectal coil). Normal glandular regions in the peripheral zone and central zone have significantly higher citrate levels than ACP and fibromuscular and fibrous benign prostatic hyperplasia at proton spectroscopy. ACP has a higher phosphomonoester-phosphocreatine ratio than normal glandular tissue at phosphorus spectroscopy. The combination of endorectal coil MR imaging for local spread, and body coil MR imaging for advanced disease, makes MR imaging the premier imaging modality for the preoperative staging of ACP.