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Prostatic high-resolution micro-ultrasound: an attractive step-forward in the management of prostate cancer patients

Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases volume 26, pages 521–522 (2023)Cite this article

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Prostatic high resolution micro-ultrasound (MUS) was first described by Pavlovich et al. in 2014 [1]. Thanks to scanners operating at high frequency (29 MHz) and the resulting real-time spatial resolution up to 70 microns (near 300% higher than existing platforms) it allows to better evaluate the microstructures and tissue planes. Consequently, MUS is capable of highlighting the alterations of the prostatic histology that are typically associated with high-grade prostate cancer (PCa) such as loss of normal acinar lumen and tighter cellular packing. In 2016, Ghai et al. developed the Prostate Risk Identification using MUS (PRI-MUS), a 5-point grading system to stratify MUS images according to the risk of clinically significant PCa [2].

A number of potential benefits deriving from including MUS in the current management of patients with suspected PCa have been proposed. MUS can overcome some limitations of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) such as availability, long procedural times, high costs, potential exclusion of patients with renal failure, pelvic prosthesis, claustrophobia or cardiac implants. Moreover, it can allow imaging and biopsy as a single procedure. Finally, it can represent a way to bring PCa imaging back to urology [3, 4]. However, despite the aforementioned premises and encouraging preliminary data, the supporting evidence is still limited.

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Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Woman, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Naples, Italy

    Ferdinando Fusco, Davide Arcaniolo & Celeste Manfredi

  2. Department of Urology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Mark Emberton

  3. Department of Urology, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Cosimo De Nunzio

  4. Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy

    Massimiliano Creta

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  1. Ferdinando Fusco
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  2. Mark Emberton
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  4. Cosimo De Nunzio
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  5. Celeste Manfredi
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  6. Massimiliano Creta
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Contributions

FF and MC: conceptualization and supervision, MH, CDN, CM and DA: writing.

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Correspondence to Ferdinando Fusco.

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Fusco, F., Emberton, M., Arcaniolo, D. et al. Prostatic high-resolution micro-ultrasound: an attractive step-forward in the management of prostate cancer patients. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 26, 521–522 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41391-022-00611-9

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