Prostatic venous plexus: ultrasonic guidance for prostatic inflammation?

The Ultrasonic features of the normal prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatic carcinoma are well known, but ultrasonic diagnosis of prostatitis is still questionable. We studied 190 cases of transrectal sonogram for prostatic disease; 89 of them had prominent prostatic plexus. When compared with clinical and pathological results, prostatic venous plexus should be considered as a normal anatomical features in only 28.5 percent of them with prostatic inflammation. When prostatic venous plexus is associated with periurethral halo zone and/or prostatic calculi, the diagnosis of prostatic inflammation can be made.