Role of ultrasound elastography versus ultrasound guided biopsy in detection of cancer prostate

Abstract

Introduction:

Elastography, introduced in the early 1990s, is a high-performing diagnostic tool that enhances conventional B-mode ultrasonography. This study assessed the diagnostic potential of ultrasound (US) elastography for early prostate cancer, using histopathology as the reference. It aimed to evaluate elastography’s ability to differentiate benign from malignant prostate lesions and measure its sensitivity and specificity.

Method:

From June 2020 to November 2022, 22 men with prostate lesions were enrolled in a prospective study. These patients, referred from the urology outpatient clinic, had a median prostate-specific antigen of 30.6 ng/mL and a median prostate volume of 65 mL. Strain stiffness was calculated for each lesion and subsequently compared with the corresponding histopathological diagnoses.

Results:

A stiffness threshold between 35 and 37 kPa demonstrated the optimal discriminatory capacity between benign and malignant lesions, yielding a sensitivity of 83.3%, a specificity of 70%, a positive predictive value of 76.9%, a negative predictive value of 77.7%, and an overall accuracy of 77.2%.

Conclusion:

Elastography is an effective diagnostic tool that enhances B-mode ultrasound specificity for prostate cancer detection. It improves differentiation between benign and malignant lesions and increases the accuracy of prostate biopsy outcomes.