Evaluation of Scrotal Pathologies by Ultrasound and Color Doppler

Cureus. 2023 Mar 27;15(3):e36776. doi: 10.7759/cureus.36776. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Abstract

Introduction Due to its ease of use, lack of ionizing radiation exposure, noninvasive nature, reproducibility, low cost, and ease of accessibility, ultrasound (US) is the preferred imaging modality for evaluating scrotal disease. High-resolution US and color Doppler better highlight scrotal and testicular diseases because of the scrotum's superficial anatomy. The genital organs are subjected to damaging ionizing radiation during CT, while MRI is both costly and uncommon. Aims and objectives The aim of this study is to use ultrasonography (USG) to examine various scrotal diseases and to diagnose and identify different disorders utilizing high-resolution US and color Doppler. Materials and methods The study was done on 60 patients who were referred to the Department of Radiodiagnosis by the General Surgery and Urology departments for the scrotal US and Doppler study. This study was conducted between October 2021 and March 2022 at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India. Results Out of 60 patients, hydrocele was seen in 25 cases, scrotal hernia in 12 cases, undescended testis in eight cases, varicocele and epididymal cysts in seven cases, etc. In acutely painful scrotal disorders, high-frequency US with color Doppler sonography successfully distinguishes between testicular ischemia/torsion and acute inflammatory illnesses. Eighteen cases of inflammatory scrotal pathologies and one case of testicular torsion were seen. Conclusion In detecting and assessing scrotal diseases, high-frequency USG and color Doppler sonography have good sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, the lack of ionizing radiation, simplicity, wide availability, cost-efficiency, and reproducibility make it a highly important method for scrotal diseases.

Keywords: color doppler; color doppler ultrasound; epididymis; high resolution us; scrotal pathology; testies.