Comparative Clinical Evaluation of 3.0T MRS with Phased-Array or Endorectal Coils in Prostate Cancer Patients.

Abstract

Background: There are no magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data comparing endorectal coils and phased-array coils in prostate cancer patients on a 3.0T MRI system at the same position using the same sequence parameter. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to semiquantitatively compare MRS in biopsy-proven prostate cancer patients with phased-array or endorectal coils. Materials and Methods: Five patients with low-risk prostate cancer underwent MRS with endorectal coils and phased-array coils using a combination of point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) volume localization and 3D chemical shift imaging (CSI). Signal intensity lines between 0 ppm and 10 ppm (L0) and positive portion between 1.5 ppm and 2.4 ppm and 3.5 ppm and 4.0 ppm (L), water peak height (H0), citrate peak height (h), H0/L0 and h/L, and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the water peak were measured and compared between the two coils. Results Both L0 and L were either marginally or statistically significantly shorter for the endorectal coils than for the phased-array coils (L0: p = 0.063, L: p < 0.05). The H0 / L0 of the endorectal coils was also significantly higher (p < 0.05), and the H / L was slightly higher than that of the phased array coils (p = 0.344). The mean FWHM of the water peak with the endorectal coil was shorter than that with the phased-array coil (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Endorectal coils provided higher SNR on a 3.0T MRI system than phased-array coils in prostate cancer patients.