Çildağ Mehmet Burak
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey.
J Med Ultrasound. 2017 Jul-Sep;25(3):157-160. doi: 10.1016/j.jmu.2017.03.012. Epub 2017 May 4.
Undescended testes, which are defined as the failure of testes to descend to scrotum, are the most common developmental defect in male infants. Indirect evaluation of histologic damage can be performed with the help of palpation during operation. Hard texture of testes tissue is likely related with histological damage. Real-time elastography is an emerging technology of ultrasonic imaging of soft tissue strain and elasticity, it aims at providing information regarding the mechanical properties of tissues, such as their hardness or stiffness. This study aim was to investigate the changes in strain and elasticity of testes tissue by using elastography technique.
A total of 32 patients, who had undescended testes were included in this study. Only two patients had bilateral undescended testes, other patients had unilateral. The age of the patients were recorded according to the time of ultrasonographic (USG) examination. The undescended testes was displayed in the elastographic box with the neighbouring subcutaneous fat tissues. The strain ratios were measured as the ratios of the elasticities of the subcutaneous fat tissue to the elasticities of the undescended testes.
A total of 32 patients with 34 testes were included in the study. The mean age of the patients with undescended testes was 32.6 months (range 7-60 months). The mean strain ratios were 0.67 (range 0.12-1.41) for the undescended testes and there were no significant differences in undescended testes strain ratios related to patient age ( = 0.453).
This preliminary study showed that there were no significant fibrosis which can be demonstrated with elastosonography before the age of 5 years old. Additional studies with his-topathological results are needed to identify sensitivity and specificity of elastosonography in undescended testis and in planning optimal operation time for these patients.
隐睾是指睾丸未能降至阴囊，是男性婴儿最常见的发育缺陷。术中可通过触诊间接评估组织学损伤。睾丸组织质地硬可能与组织学损伤有关。实时弹性成像技术是一种新兴的软组织应变和弹性超声成像技术，旨在提供有关组织机械特性的信息，如硬度或刚度。本研究旨在利用弹性成像技术研究睾丸组织应变和弹性的变化。
本研究共纳入32例隐睾患者。仅2例为双侧隐睾，其他患者为单侧隐睾。根据超声检查时间记录患者年龄。将隐睾与邻近的皮下脂肪组织显示在弹性成像框中。测量应变比，即皮下脂肪组织弹性与隐睾弹性之比。
本研究共纳入32例患者的34个睾丸。隐睾患者的平均年龄为32.6个月（范围7 - 60个月）。隐睾的平均应变比为0.67（范围0.12 - 1.41），隐睾应变比与患者年龄无关（ = 0.453），差异无统计学意义。
这项初步研究表明，5岁之前弹性超声检查未显示出明显的纤维化。需要进一步进行组织病理学结果研究，以确定弹性超声检查在隐睾诊断中的敏感性和特异性，并为这些患者规划最佳手术时间。
