Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Imaging as a Prognostic Tool in Early Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer: Correlation with PSA and Clinical Stage

Figure 1

Transverse prostate MR images from a 69-year-old male patient with biopsy proven prostate cancer (Gleason score 3 + 4 and serum PSA 6.6 ng/mL): (a) T2-weighted image showing in the transitional zone a hypointense area without clear border; (b) ADC map: transitional zone hypointense region with a clear border, with ADC value of 0.75 × 10⁻³ mm²/s; (c) T1-weighted image early enhancement map: the enhanced region of interest 1 (ROI1, red line) corresponds to the tumor, and ROI 2 (green line) was selected from normal prostate tissue as healthy control; (d) K^trans map: ROI 1 K^trans 0.120 min⁻¹ and ROI 2 K^trans 0.048 min⁻¹; (e) K_ep map: ROI 1 K_ep 0.657 min⁻¹ and ROI 2 K_ep 0.327 min⁻¹; (f) iAUC map: ROI 1 iAUC 14.976 mmoL/L/min and ROI 2 iAUC 6.871 mmoL/L/min; (g) enhancement kinetics pattern from the two ROIs: the time-intensity curves were obtained from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. ROI1 showing a higher peak enhancement and an early wash-in and wash-out of contrast medium compared with ROI 2.