Archivio Italiano di Urologia e Andrologia (Jun 2021)

Diagnostic accuracy of the Novel 29 MHz micro-ultrasound “ExactVuTM” for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer: A prospective single institutional study. A step forward in the diagnosis of prostate cancer

  • Francesco Chessa,
  • Riccardo Schiavina,
  • Amelio Ercolino,
  • Caterina Gaudiano,
  • Davide Giusti,
  • Lorenzo Bianchi,
  • Cristian Pultrone,
  • Emanuela Marcelli,
  • Concetta Distefano,
  • Luca Lodigiani,
  • Eugenio Brunocilla

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4081/aiua.2021.2.132
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 93, no. 2

Abstract

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Introduction and Objective: ExactVuTM is a real-time micro-ultrasound system which provides, according to the Prostate Risk Identification Using Micro-Ultrasound protocol (PRI-MUS), a 300% higher resolution compared to conventional transrectal ultrasound. To evaluate the performance of ExactVuTM in the detection of Clinically significant Prostate Cancer (CsPCa). Materials and methods: Patients with Prostate Cancer diagnosed at fusion biopsy were imaged with ExactVuTM. CsPCa was defined as any Gleason Score ≥ 3+4. ExactVuTM examination was considered as positive when PRI-MUS score was ≥ 3. PRI-MUS scoring system was considered as correct when the fusion biopsy was positive for CsPCa. A transrectal fusion biopsy- proven CsPCa was considered as a gold standard. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) were calculated. Results: 57 patients out of 68 (84%) had a csPCa. PRI-MUS score was correctly assessed in 68% of cases. Regarding the detection of CsPCa, ExactVuTM ’s sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV was 68%, 73%, 93%, and 31%, respectively and the AUC was 0.7 (95% CI 0.5-0-8). For detecting CsPCa in the transition/ anterior zone the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV was 45%, 66%, 83% and 25% respectively ant the AUC was 0.5 (95% CI 0.2-0.9). Accounting only the CsPCa located in the peripheral zone, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV raised up to 74%, 75%, 94%, 33%, respectively with AUC 0.75 (95% CI 0.5-0-9). Conclusions: ExactVuTM provides high resolution of the prostatic peripheral zone and could represent a step forward in the detection of CsPCa as a triage tool. Further studies are needed to confirm these promising results.

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