A direct comparison of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for prostate cancer detection and prediction of aggressiveness

Alexander D. J. Baur, Julia Schwabe, Julian Rogasch, Andreas Maxeiner, Tobias Penzkofer, Carsten Stephan, Marc Rudl, Bernd Hamm, Ernst-Michael Jung, Thom Fischer

Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) analyse tissue vascularization. We evaluated if CEUS can provide comparable information as DCE-MRI for the detection of prostate cancer (PCa) and prediction of its aggressiveness. A post-hoc evaluation of 92 patients was performed. In each patient CEUS and DCE-MRI parameters of the most suspicious lesion identified on MRI were analysed. The predictive values for discrimination between benign lesions, low-/intermediate- and high-grade PCa were evaluated. Results of targeted biopsy served as reference standard (benign lesions, n=51; low- and intermediate-grade PCa [Gleason grade group 1 and 2], n=22; high-grade PCa [≥ Gleason grade group 3], n=19). In peripheral zone lesions of all tested CEUS parameters only time to peak (TTPCEUS) showed significant differences between benign lesions and PCa (AUC 0.65). Of all tested DCE-MRI parameters, rate constant (Kep) was the best discriminator of high-grade PCa in the whole prostate (AUC 0.83) and in peripheral zone lesions (AUC 0.89). DCE-MRI showed a superior performance for detection of PCa and prediction of its aggressiveness. CEUS and DCE-MRI performed better in peripheral zone lesions than in transition zone lesions. • DCE-MRI gathers information about vascularization and capillary permeability characteristics of tissues. • DCE-MRI can detect PCa and predict its aggressiveness. • CEUS also gathers information about vascularization of tissues. • For detection of PCa and prediction of aggressiveness DCE-MRI performed superiorly. • Both imaging techniques performed better in peripheral zone lesions.