Prostate perfusion mapping using Fourier-transform based velocity-selective arterial spin labeling: Choice of cutoff velocity and comparison with brain.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Small observational technical development and parameter optimization study in healthy human volunteers
PubMed 37203405 · doi:10.1002/mrm.29695
What was done
Authors developed Fourier-transform based velocity-selective arterial spin labeling (VSASL) protocols to map prostate blood flow (PBF) and prostate blood volume (PBV) without exogenous contrast. They evaluated four cutoff velocities (V_cut = 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, and 1.50 cm/s) with a 3D readout on a 3T scanner in 8 young and middle-aged healthy male volunteers, benchmarking prostate measurements against cerebral blood flow and volume in the brain using perfusion-weighted signal (PWS) and temporal SNR (tSNR).
What was found
Prostate PWS was virtually unobservable at V_cut of 1.00 or 1.50 cm/s, whereas lower cutoffs (0.25 and 0.50 cm/s) yielded detectable PWS and considerably higher tSNR. Temporal SNR for PBV was approximately 2 to 4 times higher than for PBF. The abstract did not report absolute quantitative perfusion rates or confidence intervals, though it noted an observational trend toward reduced prostate vascularity with older age.
Why it matters
It establishes the necessary velocity cutoff parameters (0.25–0.50 cm/s) for non-contrast prostate perfusion MRI, demonstrating that microvascular blood velocities in the prostate are substantially slower than in the brain.
Limits
The sample size is very small (n=8), restricted to healthy participants, and evaluated no clinical populations (such as patients with prostate cancer or benign prostatic hyperplasia). The reported trend regarding age-related vascular decline cannot be statistically verified from the abstract.
Cited by
- supports The prostate receives relatively low blood flow compared to other tissues.