One of the conditions increasingly being diagnosed in men is prostate cancer. Diagnosing the disease at an early stage gives a good chance of a complete cure. Possible cancerous changes can be detected
What is the purpose and course of a prostate MRI scan?
Every year there is an increase in the number of patients qualified for prostate examination using magnetic resonance imaging. This method is primarily used in the diagnosis of prostate cancer, which ranks second in terms of morbidity and mortality in men. Usually in the early stages they do not give visible symptoms. Symptoms are noticeable only at an advanced stage. These include erectile dysfunction, weakness of lower limb muscle strength and problems with urination, as the growth of the gland causes tightening of the urethra. Magnetic resonance imaging of the prostate provides an opportunity to localize pathological changes and determine whether their occurrence is limited to the prostate gland alone. As for the course of the examination, it is non-invasive, painless and comfortable for the patient.
What are the indications for a prostate MRI?
The primary indication for undergoing this test is an elevated PSA level. This is a specific steroidal antigen that is a specific protein produced by the prostate gland. Excessively high levels of this compound in the blood may indicate benign prostatic hyperplasia, a developing cancer or other urogenital condition. The MRI of the prostate is also helpful when worrisome changes are detected by a specialist in a rectal examination or ultrasound. In addition, it is applicable to patients who have already been diagnosed with prostate cancer. It allows determining the location of the lesions, assessing the degree of involvement of the surrounding lymph nodes, as well as possible infiltration of neighboring organs.
We also perform pelvic MRI in our laboratory. Thanks to the fact that this procedure is characterized by high tissue contrast and adequate spatial resolution, it allows an accurate assessment not only of the prostate gland, but also of the seminal vesicles, urinary bladder and, in the case of women, the ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes.