What Is A Transrectal Ultrasound (TRUS)?

Jan 13

Prostate sonogram or endorectal ultrasound are other names for a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS). It's utilized to examine the prostate and surrounding tissues. An ultrasound transducer (also known as a probe) transmits sound waves through the rectum wall, into the prostate, and into the surrounding tissue. The wave patterns (called echoes) that bounce off the organs are analyzed by a computer and converted into a picture that physicians may see on a television screen.

Why is it necessary to have a TRUS?

If a man's PSA level is high, a doctor feels an abnormal region during a digital rectal exam (DRE), or he has particular symptoms, such as difficulty peeing, a TRUS is often performed to assist detect prostate cancer. TRUS is carried out for the following purposes:

Guide a needle during a biopsy to gather samples from the prostate examine for abnormal spots in the prostate
Take note of the prostate's size and form

A TRUS may also be used to determine what is causing infertility in men, such as cysts in the reproductive system.

Treatments for malignant and non-cancerous diseases of the prostate and adjacent tissues may also be delivered using a TRUS. A TRUS may be used to insert a brachytherapy implant, provide HIFU, or perform cryosurgery, for example.

What is a TRUS and how does one go about creating one?

At most cases, a TRUS is performed in a doctor's office, clinic, or hospital. The exam takes around 15–30 minutes, and you may leave the same day.

Prior to having a TRUS, you must do some necessary preparation. Your doctor will instruct you to stop using certain blood-thinning medications 7–10 days before the test if you are taking them. To assist clear out the colon and rectum, you will be given an enema 1–4 hours before the surgery. You may be asked to pee to clear your bladder just before the treatment.

You'll probably be asked to lay on your side with your knees bent toward your chest throughout the examination. On the ultrasound probe, the doctor applies a protective cover as well as lubrication. The probe, which is roughly the width of a finger, is then inserted into the rectum by the doctor. When the transducer is in place, you can feel pressure or a feeling of fullness in your rectum.

A TRUS may be used by clinicians to aid in the collection of samples from the prostate during a core biopsy.

The TRUS has no known negative effects in most males. When a TRUS is used for a prostate biopsy, the most common side effects include.

Using a TRUS to do a prostate biopsy

A TRUS may be used to guide a needle into an aberrant location so that a sample of cells or tissue can be taken. To screen for malignancy, the tissue sample is examined under a microscope.

Near the ultrasound probe, the doctor inserts a needle. After that, the doctor inserts the needle into the prostate via the rectum wall. The doctor collects tissue samples from various regions of the prostate using a thin, hollow needle. A core biopsy, also known as a core needle biopsy, is a form of biopsy that involves taking a sample from the inside of the body. Samples are obtained from various parts of the prostate, as well as any locations that seem abnormal on ultrasonography. The doctor will usually take 10–12 tissue samples in most situations (called cores).

Because a prostate core biopsy may be painful, your doctor may provide an anesthetic.

before doing a biopsy on the prostate Learn more about what a core biopsy is and what it can do for you.

The following are some of the possible side effects of a TRUS-guided prostate biopsy:

For a few days, there is rectum bleeding
Lower urinary tract symptoms, such as frequent urination, a weak or slow urine stream, or dribbling urine, for up to 6 weeks following the surgery
Infection lower urinary tract symptoms, such as frequent urination, weak or slow urine stream, or dribbling urine painful urination

Before and after a prostate biopsy, your doctor may recommend antibiotics. Antibiotics may help you avoid becoming infected. If you get a fever within a few days following the treatment, make an appointment with your doctor since it might be an indication of infection.

The significance of the findings

A male with an abnormal TRUS test may have:

A prostatic enlargement (called benign prostatic hyperplasia)
Prostate that is swollen or diseased (called prostatitis)
Cancer of the prostate

You may require another prostate biopsy if a TRUS reveals an abnormal region but no cancer is discovered in the biopsy sample. In 6–12 months, the surgery might be repeated if:

There were precancerous cells when PSA levels rose
The initial biopsy's cells

What should you do if you notice a difference or an abnormality?

If further tests, treatments, follow-up care, or treatment are required, the doctor will make that decision.