杉山 義樹, 大内 達男, 北川 龍一

Yoshiki SUGIYAMA, Tatsuo OHUCHI, Ryuichi KITAGAWA

順天堂大学医学部泌尿器科

Department of Urology, Juntendo University School of Medicine

キーワード : Prostate, Ultrasonography, Transrectal scanner, Longitudinal image, Transverse image

　There are 4 approaches for ultrasonic examinations of the prostate; transabdominal, transperineal, transurethral and transrectal. We believe that transrectal methods have the highest clinical ability. That methods have radial scanning and electronic linear scanning; either transverse images or longitudinal images are observed with each of them.
　Although they have some advantages and disadvantages each other, if two transrectal scanning methods are combined, ultrasonic examinations of the prostate will be easy and certain.
　Accordingly we have developed a new data processing system with which longitudinal images and transverse images of the prostate can be observed at will.
　Outlines of this system are
　1) The probe for transrectal linear scanning (5-MHz) is rotated by a motor.
　2) The longitudinal images together with rotational angle data are recorded on VTR.
　3) Desired transverse images are reconstructed by a micro-computer from the VTR data.
　The experiments using a wire-frame model suggest that the resolution and overall sensitivity of this system is useful clinically. On reconstructed transverse images, distortions are little and resolution of the wire images can be detected even at 2 mm intervals.
　In the near future, by the improvement of this system, it will be very useful for mass examination of the prostatic disease.