Prostate cancer - transition zone

Case contributed by Joachim Feger
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Continuously rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level.

Patient Data

Age: 70 years
Gender: Male

mpMRI

mri

Findings:

Quality: mild geometric distortion on DWI, does not compromise diagnostic confidence

Prostate size: 47 x 32 x 70 mm (CC x AP x ML) ≈56 mL.

Hemorrhage: none

Peripheral zone (PZ): slightly heterogeneous high signal, faint linear/wedge-shaped hypointensities

Transition zone (TZ): moderate heterogeneity, some BPH nodules, focal finding as below:

Focal lesion #1:

  • location: right apical and mid gland anterior transition zone (TZa) extending to the left
  • lesion size: 21 x 22 x16 mm
  • T2w: circumscribed homogeneous, hypointense, with a small area of capsular contact - category 5/5
  • DWI: focal slightly hyperintense on DWI (b1000) and markedly hypointense on ADC - category 3/5
  • DCE: focal early enhancement - positive

Prostate margin: a small area of capsular contact

Overall PI-RADS category: 5

Neurovascular bundles: not involved

Seminal vesicles: not involved

Lymph nodes: multiple small oval iliac lymph nodes (up to 5 mm size, fatty hilum, smooth margins)

Pelvic bones: no osseous metastases 

Other pelvic organs: normal

Impression:

A highly suspicious lesion in the right anterior transition zone (TZa) - PI-RADS 5.

A prostate biopsy was recommended.

MR in-bore biopsy

mri

MR in-bore biopsy:

After patient preparation and positioning as well as the acquisition of planning sequences, the suspicious lesion in the right midglandular and apical, anterior transition zone (TZa) is re-identified on the images, marked and locked with the navigation software.

Two biopsy cores are obtained from the lesion with a 150cm 18G biopsy needle, registered and sent to pathology.

Case Discussion

This case demonstrates a PI-RADS 5 lesion of the anterior transition zone.

Histology of the biopsy revealed a continuous infiltrate of an acinar adenocarcinoma (modified Gleason score 3+4=7a within one core and 4+5=9 within the other core.

The patient underwent radical retroperitoneal prostatectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy.

Final histology of the prostatectomy preparation revealed adenocarcinoma in both lobes  (≈14%):  Gleason score 4+5=9, WHO grade 5.

Resection margins were free from tumor cells.

Tumorclassification: pT2c, pN0, R0.

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