- 作者：Valeria Panebianco ; Flavio Barchetti ; Aless ; ro Sciarra ; Andrea Marcantonio ; Chiara Zini ; Stefano Salciccia ; Federico Collettini ; Vincenzo Gentile ; Bernard Hamm ; Carlo Catalano
- 关键词：Prostate cancer ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Erectile disfunction ; Diffusion MRI ; Prostatectomy
- 刊名：European Journal of Radiology
- 出版年：2013
- 出版时间：October, 2013
- 年：2013
- 卷：82
- 期：10
- 页码：1677-1682
- 全文大小：2353 K
Objectives
To evaluate if Diffusion Tensor Imaging technique (DTI) can improve the visualization of periprostatic nerve fibers describing the location and distribution of entire neurovascular plexus around the prostate in patients who are candidates for prostatectomy.Materials and methods
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), including a 2D T2-weighted FSE sequence in 3 planes, 3D T2-weighted and DTI using 16 gradient directions and b = 0 and 1000, was performed on 36 patients. Three out of 36 patients were excluded from the analysis due to poor image quality (blurring N = 2, artifact N = 1).
The study was approved by local ethics committee and all patients gave an informed consent. Images were evaluated by two radiologists with different experience in MRI. DTI images were analyzed qualitatively using dedicated software. Also 2D and 3D T2 images were independently considered.
Results
3D-DTI allowed description of the entire plexus of the periprostatic nerve fibers in all directions, while 2D and 3D T2 morphological sequences depicted part of the fibers, in a plane by plane analysis of fiber courses. DTI demonstrated in all patients the dispersion of nerve fibers around the prostate on both sides including the significant percentage present in the anterior and anterolateral sectors.
Conclusions
DTI offers optimal representation of the widely distributed periprostatic plexus. If validated, it may help guide nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy.