Objectives: To prospectively evaluate the safety and early and delayed morbidity of transrectal ultrasound-guided needle biopsies in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy.
Methods: A total of 59 men receiving immunosuppressive agents after kidney transplantation, with a total prostate-specific antigen level between 4 and 10 ng/mL, were prospectively studied. All patients underwent transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided sextant biopsy plus two additional transition zone biopsies. Biopsy samples were also obtained from suspicious areas identified during TRUS and digital rectal examination. The immediate and delayed morbidity, patient satisfaction, and complication rates were recorded and compared with the morbidity data recorded in the same period from 1051 men in the European Prostate Cancer Detection study.
Results: Of the 59 subjects, prostate cancer was detected in 17; 231 men were found to have cancer in the European Prostate Cancer Detection Study. Minor or no discomfort was observed in 88% and 92% of the transplant recipients and controls, respectively (P = 0.31). Twelve percent versus 8% experienced pain. Early morbidity included rectal bleeding (2.6% versus 2.1%, P = 0.19), severe hematuria (0.8% versus 0.7%, P = 0.08), and moderate to severe vasovagal episodes (1.9% versus 2.8%, P = 0.04). Late morbidity included fever (3.5% versus 2.9%, P = 0.1), hematospermia (11.0% versus 9.8%, P = 0.1), recurrent mild hematuria (17.4% versus 16.8%, P = 0.08), persistent dysuria (6.4% versus 7.2%, P = 0.2), and urinary tract infections (12.0% versus 10.9%, P = 0.08). Major complications were rare: urosepsis (0% versus 0.1%).
Conclusions: The results of our study demonstrate that TRUS-guided biopsy of the prostate is generally well tolerated, with minor morbidity, in patients receiving immunosuppression. No differences were noted in pain apprehension or early and delayed morbidity, suggesting that TRUS-guided biopsies can be performed safely in these patients.