MR spectroscopy of the human prostate using surface coil at 3 T: Metabolite ratios, age-dependent effects, and diagnostic possibilities

Abstract

Purpose: To measure prostate spectra of healthy volunteers using a surface coil, to demonstrate age-dependent effects, and to investigate diagnostic possibilities for prostate cancer detection. Materials and Methods: Single-voxel and 2D magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) spectra of 51 healthy volunteers with biopsy-proven prostate carcinoma of 20 patients for comparison were measured and processed using the LCModel. The mean normalized spectra and mean metabolite-to-citrate intensity ratios were computed. Results: Metabolite-to-citrate ratios of healthy volunteers were lower in the older group (>51 years) than in the younger group (<45 years). The peripheral zone (PZ) revealed a lower metabolite-to-citrate intensity ratio than the central gland (CG). Age-related differences in metabolite-to-citrate ratio were insignificant in the voxels with predominantly CG tissue, whereas significant differences were found in the PZ. Sensitivity in detecting prostate cancer by single-voxel spectroscopy (SVS) and 2D MRSI was 75% and 80%, respectively. Conclusion: SVS and 2D MRSI of the prostate at 3 T, using a surface coil, are useful in situations when insertion of the endorectal coil into the rectum is difficult or impossible. Our findings of age-dependent effects may be of importance for the analysis of patient spectra. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.