MRI-US fusion prostate biopsy: a single-centre experience

Background: MRI-US fusion biopsy system is a recent diagnostic procedure which permits the withdrawal of prostate specimens directly from a suspected lesion seen at MRI, bypassing the need for random prostate biopsies. We studied the efficacy of the method among the patient evaluated in our facility. Results: 58 out of 150 patients (39%) were found positive for PCa. The correlation between mpMRI findings and histologic evaluation was satisfactory for lesion marked as PI-RADS 5 or highly suspicious for PCa (65%) but mild for lesions classified as PI-RADS 4 or moderate suspicious for PCa (26%). Regarding procedural complications, three patients were affected by acute urinary retention and one experienced hematuria. Conclusions: Transperineal stereotactic prostate biopsy combining magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound enables targeted evaluation of suspected lesions. The method is safe, carrying a very low risk of complications. The data regarding the correlation between PI-RADS and histologic lesion approximates the results of similarly-conducted studies. The procedure is overall promising, and opens to other utilisations beyond the detection of PCa, such as focal therapy and a more accurate active surveillance.