The Effect of Oral Laxatives on Rectal Distension and Image Quality in Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Prostate.
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Authors
Foley, Robert W
Komber, Hend
Charters, Pia
Ali, Noor
Burns-Cox, Nick
Burn, Paul R
Issue Date
2023-02-27
Type
Journal Article
Language
en
Keywords
Wessex Classification Subject Headings::Radiology
Alternative Title
Abstract
Introduction Increasing rectal size is associated with increased artefacts on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the prostate and has the potential to degrade image quality. The objective of this study was to analyse the effect of oral laxative medication on rectal distension and image quality in prostate MRI. Methods Eighty patients prospectively received either 15 mg of oral senna (laxative group) or no medication (control group). Patients underwent prostate MRI according to standard local protocol and seven rectal dimensions on axial and sagittal images were measured. A subjective assessment of rectal distension was also made using a five-point Likert scale. Finally, artefacts on diffusion-weighted sequences were assessed using a four-point Likert scale. Results There was a small reduction in rectal diameter on sagittal images in the laxative group compared to the control group, with mean diameters of 27.1 mm and 30.0 mm respectively, p=0.02. There was no significant difference in rectal measurements of anteroposterior diameter, transverse diameter, or rectal circumference on axial imaging. Subjective scoring also demonstrated no significant difference in diffusion-weighted imaging quality between the laxative group and control group, p=0.82. Conclusion Bowel preparation with the oral laxative, senna, provided only a marginal decrease in rectal distension on one measure and no reduction in artefacts on diffusion-weighted sequences. The findings of this study do not support the routine use of this medication in patients undergoing prostate MRI.
Description
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation
Foley R W, Komber H, Charters P, et al. (February 27, 2023) The Effect of Oral Laxatives on Rectal Distension and Image Quality in Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Prostate. Cureus 15(2): e35539
Publisher
Cureus
License
Copyright © 2023, Foley et al.
Journal
Cureus
Volume
15
Issue
2
PubMed ID
ISSN
2168-8184