Sadhna Verma, MD, FSAR, presented “Prostate MRI for Dummies” during the 2023 Frontiers in Oncologic Prostate Care and Ablative Local Therapy symposium on November 10, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois.
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How to cite: Verma, Sadhna. “Prostate MRI for Dummies.” November, 2023. Accessed May 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/prostate-mri-for-dummies/
Prostate MRI for Dummies – Summary
Sadhna Verma, MD, FSAR, presents an overview of the use of multiparametric MRI in evaluating the prostate. Dr. Verma begins by reviewing the three elements of a multiparametric MRI in prostate cancer treatment: T2 Weighted Imaging (T2W), Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI), and Dynamic Contrast Enhanced (DCE) Imaging.
Dr. Verma presents examples of T1 and T2 Weighted (T2W) MRI images, which are used to illustrate the zonal anatomy of the prostate. She notes that T1 and T2 MRI is weak when it comes to identifying problems in the transition zone.
Dr. Verma then moves to Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) to measure cell diffusion as a means of locating tumors. However, she notes that DWI is not very accurate for recently-biopsied patients.
Dr. Verma concludes by briefly touching on Dynamic Contrast Enhanced (DCE) Imaging to measure tumor vascularity, and how DCE combines with T2W and DWI to give each identified lesion a PI-RADS (Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System) score. She emphasizes that a PI-RADS score should only be used in detection of clinically significant prostate cancer, and presents examples of how prostate cancer can be identified in peripheral zones, transition zones, and extra-prostatic locations through the use of multiparametric MRI.
Frontiers in Oncologic Prostate Care and Ablative Local Therapy (FOCAL) is an outstanding program on prostate imaging, transperineal interventions, and ablative treatments for prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Bringing together community-based, academic, and industry partners, FOCAL offers lectures by world-renowned faculty and hands-on training workshops on in-office transperineal interventions, fusion-guided prostate ablation and state-of-the-art BPH management with novel technologies.
