Prostatic Ultrasonography: a Useful Technique?

Abstract

Transrectal prostatic ultrasonograms 244 were reviewed and the findings compared with the final pathological or clinical diagnosis. A high degree of accuracy was achieved in diagnosing benign prostatic hyperplasia. Ultrasonography proved invaluable in staging proven prostatic carcinomas but it was disappointing as a primary diagnostic tool for cancer, with false positive and negative rates of 12 and 31%, respectively. These findings are discussed in the light of other workers'' results. Further applications for prostatic ultrasonography are outlined.