Ipsilateral and contralateral testicular blood flows during unilateral testicular torsion by 133Xe clearance technique.

Testicular blood flows during unilateral testicular torsion were measured by Xenon-133 clearance technique. Xenon-133 was injected via the left carotid artery into the heart. Measurements were performed in control and left-sided testicular torsion groups, each consisting of ten rats. Left and right testicular blood flows, which were 29.157 +/- 2.272 ml/100 g/min and 29.773 +/- 2.934 ml/100 g/min in the controls, were 11.983 +/- 3.655 ml/100 g/min and 16.098 +/- 3.757 ml/100 g/min in the experimental group and differed significantly. The decrease in contralateral testicular blood flow may play an important role in the contralateral testicular damage encountered following unilateral testicular torsion.