OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical significance and diagnosis of testicular microlithiasis (TM).

METHODSWe reported 2 cases of TM, reviewed the relevant published literature and analyzed the clinical significance of the condition.

RESULTSUltrasonographic (US) scanning of the scrotal revealed multiple small calcifications diffusely scattered throughout the testicular parenchyma with rare pinpoint-like 1-2 mm shadows but without acoustic ones, which were diagnosed by scrotal sonography as right limited TM and classic TM accompanied with left varicocele and epididymitis. The testicular tumor markers of AFP, hCG, LDH and testosterone were shown to be normal, so that no intervention was performed for TM. During the 6-8 months follow-up, no abnormality was found in physical examinations and testicular tumor markers, and no characteristic additive change was revealed by testicular ultrasound.

CONCLUSIONTM is a rare, usually asymptomatic and non-progressive abnormality, usually detected incidentally during the ultrasound examination of the testis. Though it is still controversial whether TM should be regarded as a premalignant lesion or not, regular follow-up and routine ultrasound examination are quite necessary for TM patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Calculi ; diagnostic imaging ; Genital Diseases, Male ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Scrotum ; diagnostic imaging ; Testicular Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; Testicular Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Ultrasonography

Testicular microlithiasis (TM) refers to the calcium deposits within the seminiferous tubules. Owing to the wide use of scrotal ultrasonography, more cases of TM have been diagnosed clinically. TM can be associated with many conditions, including cryptorchidism, infertility, varicocele, testicular torsion, Klinefelter's syndrome, intratubular germ cell neoplasia (IGCN) and testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT), and its frequent association with IGCN, TGCT and infertility is the particular concern of urologists and andrologists. The etiology of TM is not yet certain. Its biological meaning and clinical significance have not been well defined. Currently, there are controversies on the correlation of TM with IGCN, TGCT and infertility. This article reviews the definition, prevalence, etiology, and histopathology of TM, and summarized its association with IGCN, TGCT, and male infertility as well as the management of the disease.
Calculi ; diagnostic imaging ; Germinoma ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Scrotum ; diagnostic imaging ; Testicular Diseases ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Testicular Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Ultrasonography

Adolescent ; Child ; Hemangioma, Capillary ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Testicular Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo evaluate ultrasonography in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of testicular tumor.

METHODSUltrasound findings and post-operation pathological results were retrospectively studied in 172 men with testicular mass 1998 to 2005.

RESULTSOf the total number, 50 cases were testicular hematoma, 13 testicular cyst, 26 testicular inflammatory node, 25 testicular tuberculosis and 58 testicular tumor. Among 59 testicular tumor cases, 50 were germ cell tumor (including 41 cases of seminoma and 9 cases of nonseminoma germ cell tumor), 6 were non-germ cell tumor and 3 were secondary tumor. The sonographic features of typical seminoma, teratomas, epidemic cyst, interstitial cell tumor and malignant lymphoma were obvious.

CONCLUSIONUltrasonography, contributive to the preliminary diagnosis and differential diagnosis of testicular tumor and capable of evidence for further treatment, can be the first choice in medical imaging for the diagnosis of testicular tumors.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endodermal Sinus Tumor ; diagnostic imaging ; Hematoma ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Seminoma ; diagnostic imaging ; Teratoma ; diagnostic imaging ; Testicular Diseases ; surgery ; Testicular Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Ultrasonography

With the increased attention to men's health and development of ultrasound imaging technology, clinicians are achieving a better understanding of testicular microlithiasis. This review presents an overview on recent studies of the etiology, pathogenesis, and imaging characteristics of testicular microlithiasis, its impact on male reproductive function, and its relation ship with testis tumors and other related diseases, as well as its treatment strategies and follow-up proposals, aiming to provide some new evidence for further understanding and management of the disease.
Adult ; Calculi ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Disease Management ; Humans ; Male ; Reproduction ; physiology ; Testicular Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Testicular Neoplasms ; etiology ; Ultrasonography

A rare case is presented where a dysgenetic testis with microinvasive carcinoma in situ (CIS, also known as intratubular germ cell neoplasm of unclassified type [IGCNU] and testicular intraepithelial neoplasia [TIN]) with microinvasion to rete testis and the interstitial tissue was found in a 32-year-old man presenting with mild scrotal pain and ultrasonic testicular microlithiasis. Knowledge of the association of ultrasound and CIS is important to diagnose patients at the stage prior to development of an overt germ cell tumor. The patient had three of four disorders considered symptoms of the testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS): a dysgenetic left testicle with CIS, a mild left-sided cryptorchidism (high positioned scrotal hypotrophic testis) and a slightly reduced semen quality. Therefore, it should be kept in mind that a patient with one TDS symptom may harbour the other, even CIS or testicular cancer. Accordingly, patients with one TDS symptom ought to be examined for the presence of the others, and if more that one is present, extra concern is warranted.
Adult ; Carcinoma in Situ ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Cryptorchidism ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Testicular Neoplasms ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Testis ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics of yolk sac tumor of the testis with concomitant testicular hydrocele in children and the association between the two conditions in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 7 cases of stage-I yolk sac tumor of the testis with concomitant testicular hydrocele. The patients ranged in age from 6 to 14 (mean 11) months. As treatment, we performed radical high spermatic cord orchiectomy after diagnosis established on intraoperative frozen sections, and conducted follow-up visits by medical examination, serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) detection, chest X-ray, ultrasonography and CT for 3-41 (mean 17) months, every month in the first year, every 3 months in the second year and every 6 months in the third year after surgery.

RESULTSPostoperative pathology confirmed yolk sac tumor in all the cases, with negative incisal margin. The level of serum AFP were decreased to normal in 6 cases within 1 month after surgery, all diagnosed as at stage I, and cured without chemotherapy. The other 1 case, with the serum AFP level of 116 microg/L at 1 month after operation, was diagnosed as at stage II and received PVC chemotherapy, but lost to follow-up at 3 months post-operatively.

CONCLUSIONYolk sac tumor of the testis with concomitant testicular hydrocele is easily misdiagnosed in children. Ultrasonography is necessitated as routine examination in its diagnosis. Radical high spermatic cord orchiectomy can be performed for patients in stage I, and chemotherapy should follow for those in stage II. Its prognosis is similar to that of other yolk sac tumors. Hitherto, there has been no evidence for a definitive correlation between yolk sac tumor of the testis and hydrocele in children.

Endodermal Sinus Tumor ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Orchiectomy ; Retrospective Studies ; Spermatic Cord ; surgery ; Testicular Hydrocele ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Testicular Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Testis ; pathology ; Ultrasonography ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; metabolism

Adult ; Fatal Outcome ; Humans ; Male ; Penile Neoplasms ; pathology ; physiopathology ; secondary ; Priapism ; etiology ; pathology ; Radiography ; Testicular Neoplasms ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a new form of ultrasound (US) that can dynamically display microvessels in a highly sensitive manner. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of CEUS for characterizing testicular lesions in comparison with conventional US. Forty-seven patients with testicular lesions were enrolled. The histopathology results revealed that 31 cases were neoplastic (11 cases of seminomas, 8 nonseminomatous germ cell tumors, 8 lymphomas, 2 Leydig cell tumors, and 2 nonspecific tumors), and 16 cases were nonneoplastic (8 cases of infarctions, 3 epidermoid cysts, and 5 inflammation). The indicators of shallow lobulated morphology and cystic-solid echogenicity on conventional US were suggestive of germ cell tumors. More indicators on CEUS were found to be useful for characterizing testicular lesions. All the neoplastic lesions showed hyperenhancement on CEUS. Moreover, germ cell tumors presented with heterogeneous enhancement (73.7%, 14/19), a twisted blood vessel pattern, rapid wash-in and wash-out, and peripheral rim hyperenhancement signs. Lymphoma was characterized by nonbranching linear vessel patterns (87.5%, 7/8), rapid wash-in and slow wash-out. In nonneoplastic lesions, infarction and epidermoid cysts showed no enhancement, and abscesses were observed with marginal irregular enhancement. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CEUS for differentiating between neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions were 100%, 93.8%, and 97.9%, respectively, and these values were higher than those for conventional US (90.3%, 62.5%, and 80.9%, respectively). CEUS can sensitively reflect the microvascular perfusion in testicular lesions and offers high accuracy for characterizing them.
Contrast Media ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Epidermal Cyst ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Male ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/diagnostic imaging* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Testicular Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Ultrasonography/methods*

A 47-year-old man presented with a scrotal swelling. Ultrasonography of the testes showed that it was an extratesticular swelling. However, the swelling was intraoperatively found to be intratesticular. Histology showed an intratesticular leiomyoma, which is extremely rare.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Scrotum ; pathology ; Testicular Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Ultrasonography