Magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of prostate cancer metastatic to bone.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of osseous metastasis in patients with prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A series of 36 patients with known prostate cancer, who were undergoing MRI and an isotope bone scan, were studied.

RESULTS: Of 19 positive bone scans, MRI was read as negative for metastasis in one. Of eight equivocal scans, two MR images were interpreted as positive and six as negative. Of nine negative scans MRI was positive in one. Further MRI demonstrated additional metastatic lesions that were not shown by bone scintigraphy in six patients. MRI clearly indicated the areas of spinal cord compression in five patients with spinal metastases and associated myelopathy.

CONCLUSION: MRI is helpful in the diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer, especially when other radiographic examinations are inconclusive or spinal cord compression is suspected.