Suprapubic prostatic sonography for staging prostatic carcinoma

Sixty-one patients with histologically confirmed carcinomas of the prostate were examined by suprapubic, transvesical prostatic sonography in order to stage local tumor spread. The results were compared with rectal palpation. Compared with rectal palpation, sonography led to tumor up-staging in 16% and down-staging in 7%. The results showed good agreement with findings at prostatectomy, autopsy and cystoscopy. Additionally, the sonographic up-staging/down-staging figures were compared with "tumor staging after prostatectomy, as compared with clinical staging" quoted in the literature. It is concluded that suprapubic prostatic sonography is reliable supplementary method of examination for local tumor staging and that it improves the classification of local tumor extent.