The Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Positive Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer in Togo

Introduction: Prostate cancer is a major public health issue. Current diagnostic strategies involve MRI. The objective of our study is to assess the usefulness of prostate MRI in our context. Methods: This was a descriptive and analytical study involving retrospective data collection over a three-year period in the urology department of the Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital. We included the records of patients suspected of having prostate cancer who had undergone prostate MRI. We performed a comparative analysis between MRI and biopsy results. Results: The study included 80 cases of prostate MRI. We reported a frequency of MRI requests of 26 cases/year. Using biopsies as a reference, we found a sensitivity of 86%, a specificity of 39%, a PPV of 66%, and an NPV of 68%. There was a statistically significant difference between the presence of suspicious lesions and histological type. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the PI-RADS score and histological type (p = 0.012). Conclusion: Requests for prostate MRI are increasing in Togo. Its good sensitivity would be useful in guiding prostate biopsies toward suspicious areas to ensure early diagnosis. However, MRI remains an essential test to avoid non-contributory biopsies in patients at low risk of developing prostate cancer.