RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficiency and complications of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy with a 16-gauge (16G) or an 18G puncture needle in the diagnosis of PCa. METHODS: This prospective randomized controlled study included 142 male patients undergoing TRUS-guided prostate biopsy in our hospital, 71 with the 16G and the other 71 with the 18G puncture needle. We compared the post-puncture incidence rates of hematuria, bleeding and infection between the two groups of patients and classified the complications according to the Clavien-Dindo scores. RESULTS: The detection rate of PCa was significantly lower in the 18G than in the 16G group (12.68% vs 36.62%, χ2 = 10.958, P = 0.001), even with f/tPSA ≤ 0.15 (8.51% vs 44.44%, χ2 = 12.617, P = 0.001), but showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups with f/tPSA > 0.15 (P<0.05). No post-puncture infection was observed in any of the patients. There were no statistically significant differences between the 18G and 16G groups in the incidence rates of rectal bleeding (21.13% vs 15.49%, χ2 = 0.753, P = 0.385) and urethral bleeding (18.31% vs 16.90%, χ2 = 0.049, P = 0.826), nor in Clavien-Dindo grades (26 vs 20 cases of grade I; no grade II in either group; 2 vs 3 cases of grade III ; Z = ï¼0.698, P = 0.458). CONCLUSIONS: The 16G puncture needle can achieve a higher detection rate of PCa than the 18G needle in TRUS-guided prostate biopsy without increasing the incidence of complications.