Discrimination of Prostate Cancer from Chronic Prostatitis: Comparison Between Biexponential and Monoexponential Models

Wenchao Cai¹, Feiyu Li¹, Jintang Ye¹, Queenie Chan², Xiaoying Wang¹, Xuexiang Jiang¹

Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MR imaging is a non-invasive method with the ability of separation of pure molecular diffusion and perfusion effects. Chronic prostatitis mainly contributes low diagnostic specificity of prostate cancer detection in the peripheral zone (PZ). In this study we assess diffusion/perfusion IVIM features in histologically confirmed chronic prostatitis, prostate cancer and normal prostate PZ and compare with conventional DWI using biexponential and monoexponential model respectively. Chronic prostatitis demonstrated significantly higher diffusion characteristics than prostate cancer, while obviously higher perfusion and lower diffusion property than normal PZ detecting via IVIM analysis. IVIM may be of great potential in the better detection of prostate cancer.