Prostate biopsy in the supine position in a standard 1.5-T scanner under real time MR-imaging control using a MR-compatible endorectal biopsy device

Thirty-seven consecutive patients with elevated PSA levels and negative tumor prostate biopsies underwent a MR-guided prostate biopsy in a 1.5-T scanner in the supine position. After localization of suspected tumor areas using an endorectal coil and two body-phased array coils, the biopsy device was positioned without any repositioning of the patient. The biopsy device consisted of a mount, a ball joint, a positioning stage and an insertion stage with a needle guide, which was filled with a MR-visible fluid to control positioning of the needle using a balanced steady-state free precession sequence (TrueFISP) and a high-resolution turbo spin echo (T2-TSE) sequence. Core biopsies were taken manually in the magnet. The biopsy needle could be correctly positioned in all cases. Suspected lesions with a diameter >= 10 mm could be successfully punctured. Four to nine (mean =6) biopsies were taken per patient. In 14 patients, prostate cancer was confirmed at histology. Twenty-four biopsies positive for cancer were performed in 14 patients. A correct correlation was found between the site of biopsy and histology. MR-guided prostate biopsy can be effective in increasing primary positive tumor biopsy results in patients with a history of negative tumor TRUS-guided prostate biopsies.