OBJECTIVETo assess the value of three dimensional proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (3D 1H-MRS) with body coil at 3T in the differential diagnosis of prostate cancer.

METHODSForty patients suspected of prostate cancer underwent MRI and MRS examinations, and then transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy for pathological diagnosis. The MRI and MRS features of benign prostate hyperplasia, prostate cancer and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) were analyzed in comparison with the pathological reports, and the receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn for the diagnosis of cancer from peripheral zones.

RESULTSThe examinations were accomplished for all the patients. The mean ratios of (Cho + Cre)/Cit in the interstitial and glandular hyperplasia tissues, the cancer tissue of the central and peripheral glands, the healthy peripheral gland and PIN were 0.75 +/- 0.23, 0.59 +/- 0.14, 1.79 +/- 0.90, 1.18 +/- 0.95, 0.46 +/- 0.18, and 0.97 +/- 0.10, respectively, with statistically significant differences between the cancer and normal prostate tissues (P < 0.01). The optimum threshold for the diagnosis of prostate cancer in the peripheral zone was 0.68 with a sensitivity of 88.6% and a specificity of 88.7%.

CONCLUSIONThe 3D 1H-MRS with body coil at 3T has a high sensitivity and specificity in the differential diagnosis of prostate cancer, and can provide valuable information for the diagnosis of PIN.