3T MR Spectroscopic Imaging with and Without Endorectal Coil in Localizing Prostate Cancer: An Initial Experience

Derya Yakar¹, Stijn Heijmink, Jelle Barentsz, Christina Hulsbergen - Van de Kaa, Jurgen Ftterer, Tom Scheenen

Currently used techniques in localizing prostate cancer (Pca) have definite shortcomings. We studied the potential of 3D- magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) with and without an endorectal coil (ERC) at 3T in improving the localization of Pca. Eighteen patients with histologically proven Pca underwent an MRSI examination with and without the use of an ERC. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were improved for all of the readers with the use of an ERC. For one reader this improvement was statistically significant (p< .05). Overall the AUC for all readers was quite low, with and without the use of an ERC. Emphasis have to be made on the fact that these results concern an initial experience based on a first cohort of patients examined at 3T with 3D-MRSI in our institution. In our experience more recent data of patients examined with 3D-MRSI at 3T in our institution are far more promising due to higher signal-to-noise ratios resulting in better fitted spectra and less non ratable ROIs.