[Power Doppler ultrasonography and hypoechoic nodules of the peripheral prostate: prospectives and limitations].

OBJECTIVE

Power Doppler Ultrasonography contributes to better characterization of hypoechoic area of peripheral gland improving detection of cancer or inflammatory diseases of the prostate.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Power Doppler US was performed in eighty patients: 15 normal glands and 65 patients with acute prostatitis (25), chronic prostatitis (17) and cancer (23) were studied and a pattern was defined in each pathology. A second group of 45 patients with hypoechoic area was prospectively selected.

RESULTS

In normal glands, capsular and parenchymal arteries were seen in a radial and symmetrical fashion on coronal scans. These arteries increased in size and in divisions in diffuse and acute prostatis. In chronic prostatitis, an isolated capsular vessel was sometime present (9/17). Focal hypervascularity (18/23) with vasculogenesis (14/23) increased the specificity of transrectal ultrasound in detection of a cancer and the sensitivity in evaluation of the tumor size.