[Abdominal ultrasonography versus abdominal CT in the follow-up of testicular germ cell tumors]

Abstract

Introduction: Testicular germ cell tumors are common in young men. There is a wide consensus regarding the key points in their diagnosis and treatment, although some elements, including the best approach to follow-up, are being reviewed and revised. We present a statistical study that uses tools for the evaluation of diagnostic tests to compare the usefulness of abdominal ultrasonography (US) in comparison with that of abdominal CT, taken as the gold standard, in the detection of liver metastases and retroperitoneal adenopathies in patients with testicular germ cell tumors.

Material and methods: We analyzed a total of 308 diagnostic tests (154 CT studies and 154 US studies) from 59 patients with at least one year's follow-up at our institution. Patients underwent abdominal US before abdominal CT following a standard protocol.

Results: Compared to the gold standard, abdominal US had 95% sensitivity, 92% specificity, 82% PPV, and 98% NPV.

Conclusion: US is very sensitive and can be used in protocols for the follow-up of primary testicular tumors to rule out disease.