Transrectal prostate ultrasound

There are many ways to check the prostate. Transrectal prostate ultrasound is a common method to check the health of the prostate. Generally, a rod-shaped probe is used, which is then put into the rectum after a condom is put on.

Prostate disease plays an important role in men's health. Especially after the age of 40, the incidence of chronic prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia increases significantly. Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) is a transrectal ultrasound examination method and is the most commonly used method for prostate examination.

During the examination, the patient can lie in the left side or lithotomy position, use a rod-shaped probe, put on a condom, and insert it directly into the rectum. Pay attention to the tilt angle of the probe to be consistent with the direction of the rectum, adjust the depth of the probe and rotate the probe to perform a multi-directional prostate examination. Observe the size (upper and lower diameter, thickness, and transverse diameter) of the prostate, shape, internal echoes and boundaries, and the presence of stones and cysts; observe the blood flow in the prostate through color Doppler imaging.

The advantages of this method are: ① It is placed directly on the lesion. ② It uses a high-frequency probe to clearly show the lesion. ③ It can directly puncture and take a biopsy for pathological examination. ④ It can simultaneously examine and treat diseases in the rectum.

In the past, the commonly used transabdominal and transperineal prostate examinations were simple to operate and non-invasive, but the image resolution was limited. Transrectal ultrasound examinations, because the ultrasound probe can be placed directly on the prostate, provide clear images and can show tiny lesions, especially tiny cancers. Currently, it is used to examine prostate hyperplasia, prostatitis, prostate cancer, and lesions in the rectum, and has a wide range of applications.

At present: It has important clinical value for early diagnosis of prostate cancer. At the same time, for patients with high PSA (prostate specific antigen), transrectal ultrasound prostate examination can not only show small lesions, but also perform biopsy to determine whether there is prostate cancer. The future development direction is: color Doppler, ultrasound imaging, and the application of three-dimensional ultrasound will have broad prospects.