MR spectroscopy of normal prostate, prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia:correlative study of metabolic characteristics with histopathological findings

Objective To quantify and compare the metabolic characteristics of normal prostate, prostate cancer (PCa), and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) by using MR spectroscopy (MRS).Methods Twenty-one cases of Pca, 23 cases of BPH proved by operation or systemic biopsy, and 17 cases of normal prostate were examined by MRS.The prostate was divided into 6 regions (left/right bottom, middle, and tip), and the (Choline+Creatine)/Citrate (CC/C) value of each region was measured.After biopsy, all the puncture locations were marked and enrolled in one of the regions mentioned above.The average CC/C ratios of the normal prostate peripheral zone, the area of Pca, and the central zone of BPH were calculated.Results The average ratio of CC/C for prostate cancer (2.13±0.82) was statistically higher than that of normal prostate tissue (0.42±0.19) and the regions of BPH (0.62±0.19) (t=0.725, P=0.000; t=0.684, P=0.000).Conclusion The difference of metabolic levels measured by MRS between PCa and BPH is statistically significant.MRS may be useful in the differential diagnosis of PCa and BPH.