Prostate Cancer Vascularity: Superb Microvascular Imaging Ultrasonography with Histopathology Correlation

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between prostate cancer (PCa) vascularity detected by superb microvascular imaging (SMI) and Gleason score in biopsy specimens. Material/Methods: A total of 119 patients with suspected PCa before biopsy underwent gray-scale ultrasound (US), color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS), and SMI imaging between June 2018 and March 2019. Vascularity quantity was assessed by SMI and compared with that of CDUS. The vessel parameter was also compared with the Gleason score. The sensitivity of PCa was compared between transrectal ultrasound guided systematic biopsy (SB) and SMI-guided targeted biopsy (SMI-guided TB). Results: Pathology confirmed 74 of 119 patients had PCa. The microvascular quantity of PCa patients was significantly higher than that of non-malignant patients. SMI detected blood vessels in 97.3% (72/74) in the malignant group, while CDUS identified blood flow signals in 90.5% (67/74) of the PCa group. SMI visualized enriched microvascular in PCa of Gleason 8 (54.5%) and Gleason 9 (92.3%). There was a positive correlation between microvascular quantity detected by SMI and Gleason score, with a correlation coefficient of 0.373 (P<0.001). SMI-guided TB cores were significantly more likely than SB cores to detect PCa (OR=12.83, P<0.001). Conclusions: SMI could be promising as a useful imaging technique in the detection and characterization of PCa. There was a positive correlation between microvascular quantity detected by SMI and Gleason score.

Microwave focal therapy of prostate cancer: a non‐clinical study and exploratory clinical trial

“…In an in vivo canine study, Cheng et al. reported that the areas of non‐enhancement on both contrast‐enhanced MRI and ultrasonography were highly correlated ( r = 0.997, P = 0.001), and either imaging method can be used to delineate the borders of vascular damage [25]. This image monitoring technique of the effect of MTC was used for real‐time SMI ultrasonography.…”

PSA Based Biomarkers, Imagistic Techniques and Combined Tests for a Better Diagnostic of Localized Prostate Cancer

“…SMI-TB detected 89.2% (66/74) PCa cases vs. SB with 58.1% (43/74) cases, SMI-TB also identified 21 PCa patients missed by SB, and five patients underdiagnosed by SB. In contrast, when diagnosing Gleason 6, SB proved superiority in 10.8% (8/74 patients) vs. 1.4% (1/74 patients) of cases [ 69 ].…”

Efficacy of superb microvascular imaging of ultrasound for diagnosis of gallbladder lesion

“…This imaging technique can detect a low speed flow signal, which enables the visualization of microvessels 5 . The efficacy of SMI has been reported in the diagnosis of thyroid, breast, liver, and prostate lesions 6‐12 . However, its clinical application in the diagnosis of GB lesions has not yet been well reported.…”

“…5 The efficacy of SMI has been reported in the diagnosis of thyroid, breast, liver, and prostate lesions. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] However, its clinical application in the diagnosis of GB lesions has not yet been well reported.…”