Objective: To confirm the presence of hemorrhage in the seminal vesicles by aspiration in patients with findings suspicious for hemorrhage on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); and to investigate the relationship between findings on MRI and the freshness of hemorrhage.
Methods: Twenty-six patients with hemospermia who showed high-intensity signals on T1-weighted images with or without low-intensity signals on T2-weighted images, suggesting seminal vesicle hemorrhage, were analyzed. Of the 26, 15 underwent transperineal aspiration of the seminal vesicles under transrectal ultrasound guidance to confirm the bleeding.
Results: Bloody fluid was aspirated from all seminal vesicles showing a pattern suggestive of bleeding on MRI. The morphologic analysis of red blood cells in the fluid indicated relatively fresh hemorrhage in the seminal vesicles showing high-intensity signals on T1-weighted images and low-intensity signals on T2-weighted images (group A), but old hemorrhage in those showing high-intensity signal on T1-weighted images as well as T2-weighted images (group B). In 3 patients of group A who did not receive aspiration, repeated MRI during the follow-up showed that the signal intensity changed from low to high on T2-weighted images. On the other hand, in 2 patients of group B who received aspiration, repeated MRI performed 12 and 7 days after aspiration showed low signal intensity on T2-weighted images.
Conclusions: Hemorrhage is really present in the seminal vesicles if high signal intensity is observed on T1-weighted images. The patterns showing low and high signal intensities on T2-weighted images suggest relatively fresh and old bleeding, respectively.