Accuracy of Doppler sonography in the evaluation of acute conditions of the scrotum in children

Abstract

During a 12-month period, 65 boys (newborn to 18 years of age) with acute scrotal pain or swelling underwent Doppler sonography of both testes, followed by scintigraphy (15) and/or surgery (34) and close clinical follow-up for at least 4 months (23). Pulsed Doppler was performed with an ATL UM8 or Quantum II apparatus, using 7.5- or 10-MHz transducers. In 25 patients, color Doppler was also used. The testicular artery was deemed patent if Doppler shifts from branches within the parenchyma could be found. (Doppler signals from scrotal or marginal arteries were considered nondiagnostic). Through surgery, 19 testicular torsions were noted. Seventeen were diagnosed as such with Doppler. Two boys with torsion were deemed normal at the time of both Doppler and scintigraphy evaluation. One boy had a second Doppler examination 13 hours later, which showed no flow. The testicle was necrotic at the time of surgery. The second boy had had 8 hours of symptoms and had a viable testis at the time of surgery. This probably represented intermittent torsion. In six of the 65 cases, no signals could be found on either side, and they were deemed technical failures of the test. Doppler sonography was technically successful in 59 of the 65 patients (91%) and yielded a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 100%. Comparing the normal and painful side helped to define technical failures. Pulsed Doppler with mechanical sector scanners was more sensitive than color Doppler. Intermittent torsion was missed with both Doppler sonography and scintigraphy. Although ultrasonography cannot replace clinical judgement, it may be very helpful in unclear cases.