We conducted a prospective study to examine if preoperative anatomical evaluation of the urethra using 3D-FSE-T2WI is useful in predicting early recovery of continence following total prostatectomy in patients with prostate carcinoma. The length of the membranous urethra (8.4±1.7 mm vs. 5.7±0.6 mm, p=0.005) and the thickness of the pelvic diaphragm (10.8±1.4 mm vs. 8.8±0.5 mm, p=0.01) were significantly different between the patients who achieved continence and those who did not achieve continence 1 month after surgery. A longer membranous urethra and thicker pelvic diaphragm measured using 3D-FSE-T2WI are correlated to earlier recovery of continence following radical prostatectomy.
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