The value of the negative radionuclide scrotal scan in the management of the acutely inflamed scrotum in children.

Torsion of the testis remains a clinical diagnosis and confirmatory testing is not required when the classic signs and symptoms are present. Conflicting laboratory data or adjunctive diagnostic studies should not dissuade the surgeon from exploration when the clinical index of suspicion is high. In those patients having equivocal clinical findings when the diagnosis of torsion is not clear-cut radionuclide scrotal imaging may be useful. In this series a negative scrotal scan at the time of acute scrotal pain did predict reliably the diagnosis of non-torsion, suggesting that in the appropriate clinical setting scrotal imaging is useful in avoiding surgical exploration.