Radiology, Vol 164, 369-374, Copyright © 1987 by Radiological Society of North America
Testicular tumors: prospective analysis of real-time US patterns and abdominal staging
WB Schwerk, WN Schwerk and G Rodeck
Echomorphologic features of 57 testicular lesions (48 neoplasms, nine
benign lesions) were analyzed prospectively by means of high-resolution
real-time ultrasonography (US). There was a broad spectrum of texture
patterns for testicular malignancies, 92% of which exhibited a
predominantly decreased echogenicity compared with that of normal tissue.
US findings alone could not be used to make a specific prediction of
malignant disease or to classify a neoplasm histologically. However,
different kinds of tumors exhibited characteristic echomorphologic features
that corresponded to their gross morphologic appearance; a knowledge of
these echomorphologic features is extremely useful for the US
differentiation of tumors from nonneoplastic scrotal pathologic conditions.
All neoplasms in this series displayed distinct abnormalities in
parenchymal texture, and all were detected with US. The sensitivity and
predictive value of a normal sonogram were as high as 100%. With regard to
the detection of retroperitoneal lymph node metastases from testicular
tumors, abdominal US had an overall accuracy rate of 96% and was of
superior diagnostic value compared with bipedal lymphangiography.
