Assessment of neurovascular bundles around the prostate：incremental value of hybrid three dimensional diffusion tensor imaging to standard T2 weighted imaging technique / 中华放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To determine whether hybrid three dimensional diffusion tensor imaging (3D DTI) contributes incremental value to standard T2WI technique for assessing neurovascular bundles (NVB) around the prostate. Methods This retrospective institutional review board-approved study included 69 consecutive patients with prostate tumor who underwent MRI including conventional T2WI and 3D DTI . DTI data were postprocessed and hybrid 3D DTI and axial T2W images were obtained. Three radiologists with one, five and thirteen years of experience in reading prostate MRI and one urologist with three years of surgical experience in urology who were blinded to patient data independently recorded their levels of preference on a five-point scale of the NVBs around the prostate on the basis of T2WI alone and hybrid 3D DTI and T2WI, respectively. The differences of scores of T2WI and hybrid 3D DTI and T2WI of the four doctors were compared by using nonparametric Wilcoxon rank. Results The average scores of hybrid 3D DTI to T2WI and alone T2WI to assess NVBs for 3 radiologists and one urologist were 4.4±0.6, 4.3±0.8, 4.2± 0.6, 4.9±0.3 and 2.9±0.8, 3.0±1.1, 1.6±0.7, 3.8±0.5, respectively. The hybird 3D DTI to T2WI improved the discrimination abilities of NVBs around the prostate for 3 radiologists and one urologist (Z values were-12.791,-9.737,-14.538,-14.901, P contributes significant incremental value to the standard T2WI technique for assessing NVB around the prostate.