Prostate biopsy and anaesthesia: An overview

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of different methods for decreasing pain and discomfort in men undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies and to propose a clinical standard useful for pain relief. Material and methods. A MEDLINE search using the search terms "anaesthesia'' and "prostate biopsy'' was performed in November 2004. The search yielded 198 papers, 45 of which were found to relate to the subject and were in the English language. Results. Intravenously administered sedoanalgesia seems to be effective but is cumbersome to handle in everyday practice. In one study, i.v. tramadol has been shown to be effective, and the same goes for diclofenac 100 mg given as a suppository 1 h prior to the biopsy. Inhaled nitrous oxide (Entonox(R)) works well but is not widely available. A rectally administered gel containing local anaesthetic seems to have very limited efficacy. Periprostatic injection of a local anaesthetic was used in most studies, nearly all of which showed that it was effective in comparison with placebo or rectal gel. A minimum of 10 cm(3) seems to be necessary for optimal effect. Conclusion. At the present time, perirectal injection of a local anaesthetic is the preferred method of pain relief in conjunction with transrectal prostate biopsies.