Magnetic resonance images of hematospermia

BACKGROUND: We performed MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) in the pelvic region of 70 cases with hematospermia and conducted a study on the abnormal MRI findings to which hematospermia could be attributed. METHODS: We conducted a study on the morphological anomaly and change in the signal intensity in the prostate gland and of the seminal vesicle as well as on the presence or absence of dilation in the plexus venous surrounding the deferent duct or the prostate gland out of the abnormal MRI findings. As for the seminal vesicle, the patients whose seminal vesicle was seen in higher intensity than the prostate gland in T1 weighted images were diagnosed as having hemorrhagic focus and the patients whose seminal vesicle was seen in low intensity both in T1 and T2 weighted images were diagnosed as having fibrosis caused by chronic inflammation. RESULTS: Abnormal MRI findings were seen in 40 out of the 70 cases (57%). Anomaly in the prostate gland was indicated in 6 (9%) cases. Abnormality in the seminal vesicle was indicated in 30 cases (43%) including hemorrhage of seminal vesicle in 25 cases, chronic inflammation in five cases and cyst of seminal vesicle in one case. CONCLUSION: In conducting an examination of the patients with hematospermia, MRI is the noninvasive and reproducible method and it is possible to identify the hemorrhagic region. Therefore, MRI is thought to be useful to identify the causal organs of hematospermia.