Staging of prostatic carcinoma. Accuracy of magnetic resonance

Twenty-nine prostatic cancer patients were evaluated for staging purpose by Magnetic Resonance (MR). MR findings were correlated with the pathologic examination in 18/29 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy. Four MR staging parameters were evaluated individually: periprostatic fat; periprostatic venous plexus; seminal vesicles and pelvic adenopathy. MR correctly staged 16/18 patients, with one case of overstaging and one case of understaging. The diagnostic accuracy of MR in differentiating intracapsular stage B from extracapsular stage C was 87%, with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 87%. MR and CT results agreed in 4 of the 7 operated patients who were examined with both techniques; in 3 cases there was disagreement, and MR was correct.