Prostate calcifications (deposits of calcium in prostate tissue) are commonly seen in men as they age. Although the exact cause is not clearly understood, experts suggest the calcifications occur as a result of chronic inflammation of the prostate. Other potential causes include diabetes, infection, benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), radiation therapy, previous urethral stent placement/surgery, and prostate cancer.
Prostatic cysts are abnormal fluid filled sacs that form in the prostate. They are a relatively common, benign finding. Cysts usually do not cause symptoms or harm the function of the prostate. Treatment is not needed for simple prostate cysts that do not cause any symptoms.
A prostate lesion is an area of tissue that has been damaged by injury or disease within the prostate. Prostate lesions could be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
MRI imaging is very sensitive and it is not always clear how to interpret what is being visualized on imaging. The interpretation by the radiologist raises the possibility that there is inflammation or scarring noted in one area of your prostate, but that the cause is unclear.Inflammation and scarring in an area of the prostate could be representative of prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate). This interpretation is based solely on the MRI images, and should be taken in context with other important clinical information.
Typically on MRI, the prostate has a uniform (homogenous) appearance; however, sometimes the prostate looks patchy (heterogeneous). The causes of a heterogeneous area can vary, including past inflammation or infection, and rarely, cancer.
Radiologists use the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) score to report how likely it is that a suspicious area of the prostate is a clinically significant cancer. PI-RADS scores range from 1 (most likely not cancer) to 5 (very suspicious). Usually a score of 5 represents a high possibility that prostate cancer is present.
