Is only perianal anesthesia with lidocaine-prilocaine cream sufficient to decrease the pain during transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy? A prospective randomized study

Abstract

Aims: To determine the optimal place to apply the local anesthetic agent and to investigate the efficacy of lidocaine-prilocaine cream on the perianal and intrarectal region during prostate biopsy.

Methods: The study included 80 patients. Patients were randomized into four groups: group 1 served as the control group and was administered no anesthesia; group 2 received 5 ml lidocaine-prilocaine cream perianally; group 3 received 5 ml lidocaine-prilocaine cream intrarectally, and group 4 received lidocaine-prilocaine cream perianally and intrarectally. Pain scores during probe insertion, biopsy procedure, and the overall pain score were assessed. Mean pain scores in each group were compared statistically.

Results: In group 1, the mean pain score was significantly higher during probe insertion than that during biopsy (p < 0.001). For the mean overall pain scores, there was no significant difference between groups 1 and 3 (p = 0.942), but the results of group 1 were statistically different from groups 2 (p = 0.001) and 4 (p < 0.001). When we compared the biopsy pain scores, there was no significant difference among the groups (p > 0.05). During probe insertion, subjects in groups 2 and 4 reported significantly lower pain scores than the control group (p = 0.002, p = 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions: Perianal anesthesia with lidocaine-prilocaine cream may solely be sufficient to decrease the pain during prostate biopsy.