The place of magnetic resonance tractography in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. The first Russian experience

Introduction. Prostate cancer is one of the most common oncological conditions in men in modern society. Despite the high risk of urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, radical prostatectomy remains a surgical technique of choice for most urologists to treat all localized cases of prostate cancer without metastases. Using modern nerve-sparing surgical technique is no guarantee that nerve fibers remain intact and, consequently, that complications won’t occur. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of MR-tractography in clinical practice of uro-oncology. Materials and methods. Diffusion-tension magnetic resonance imaging is a new and promising investigation technique which allows to assess neuroarchitectonics of the prostate. Relevance and social significance of this problem together with high rate of development of new technologies in radiological imaging have led to many studies dedicated to imaging of periprostatic neural plexus using magnetic resonance (MR) tractography during the recent decade. Some studies evaluating this diagnostic technique were selected and subjected to analysis. Results. It was established that MR-tractography is a relatively new and promising diagnostic tool for neuroimaging of periprostatic neural plexus. Conclusion. Subsequently this technique may play a vital role in planning nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy in patients with localized oncological process.