Magnetic resonance imaging and prostate cancer

Prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has taken advantage of recent technological developments that increase the field of its indications. Available improvements concern functional MRI based on dynamic MRI (after intravenous injection of gadolinium), diffusion-weighted imaging and, possibly, spectroscopy to localise an undiagnosed prostate cancer on a first series of biopsies and differentiate tumors of significant volume from indolent or latent tumors. The combination of dynamic MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging seems to be the most accurate for the time being. An optimal accuracy to assess local tumor staging can only be obtained with the surface endorectal coil. Future advances concern lymph node extension following an intravenous injection of iron particles and detection of bone metastases by whole-body MRI. (C) 2008 Publie par Elsevier Masson SAS.