Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Shear wave elastography evaluation in pediatric testicular microlithiasis: a comparative study

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Medical Ultrasonics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the testicular parenchyma in pediatric patients with testicular microlithiasis by shear wave elastography (SWE) and compare the values with normal control subjects.

Methods

Twenty-three patients previously diagnosed with testicular microlithiasis under follow-up for 20 ± 11 months were included in the study group. In the control group, 31 patients with no medical history that could affect testicular tissue were prospectively included. Forty-six testes in the study group and 62 testes in the control group were evaluated with gray-scale ultrasound and SWE.

Results

There were no differences in age and testes volume between the study and control groups. The mean SWE values of all testes based on elasticity and speed parameters in the study group were 8.84 ± 2.86 kPa and 1.66 ± 0.26 m/s, respectively. In the control group, mean SWE values were 5.26 ± 1.17 kPa and 1.31 ± 0.14 m/s, respectively. Elasticity values were significantly higher in testes with microlithiasis as compared with the control group (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

SWE evaluation demonstrates the effects of ultrastructural changes in elasticity that are not detected on gray-scale ultrasound. SWE is a more reliable method in follow-up examinations for pediatric testicular microlithiasis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Shanmugasundaram R, Singh JC, Kekre NS. Testicular microlithiasis: is there an agreed protocol? Indian J Urol. 2007;23:234–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Bennett HF, Middleton WD, Bullock AD, et al. Testicular microlithiasis: US follow-up. Radiology. 2001;218:359–63.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Goede J, Hack WW, van der Voort-Doedens LM, et al. Prevalence of testicular microlithiasis in asymptomatic males 0 to 19 years old. J Urol. 2009;182:1516–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Kim B, Winter TC, Ryu JA. Testicular microlithiasis: clinical significance and review of the literature. Eur Radiol. 2003;13:2567–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Derogee M, Bevers RF, Prins HJ, et al. Testicular microlithiasis, a premalignant condition: prevalence, histopathologic findings, and relation to testicular tumor. Urology. 2001;57:1133–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bach AM, Hann LE, Hadar O, et al. Testicular microlithiasis: what is its association with testicular cancer? Radiology. 2001;220:70–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Backus ML, Mack LA, Middleton WD, et al. Testicular microlithiasis: imaging appearances and pathologic correlation. Radiology. 1994;192:781–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Cast JE, Nelson WM, Early AS, et al. Testicular microlithiasis: prevalence and tumor risk in a population referred for scrotal sonography. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2000;175:1703–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Emberton P, Moody AR. Testicular microlithiasis. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1994;162:1002–3.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Winter TC, Kim B, Lowrance WT, et al. Testicular microlithiasis: what should you recommend? AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2016;206:1164–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Guibal A, Renosi G, Rode A, et al. Shear wave elastography: an accurate technique to stage liver fibrosis in chronic liver diseases. Diagn Interv Imaging. 2016;97:91–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Samir AE, Allegretti AS, Zhu Q, et al. Shear wave elastography in chronic kidney disease: a pilot experience in native kidneys. BMC Nephrol. 2015;16:119.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Magri F, Chytiris S, Capelli V, et al. Shear wave elastography in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules: feasibility in the case of coexistent chronic autoimmune Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Clin Endocrinol. 2012;76:137–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Trottmann M, Marcon J, D’Anastasi M, et al. Shear-wave elastography of the testis in the healthy man—determination of standard values. Clin Hemorheol Microcirc. 2016;62:273–81.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Trottmann M, Marcon J, D’Anastasi M, et al. The role of VTIQ as a new tissue strain analytics measurement technique in testicular lesions. Clin Hemorheol Microcirc. 2014;58:195–209.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Zhang X, Lv F, Tang J. Shear wave elastography (SWE) is reliable method for testicular spermatogenesis evaluation after torsion. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2015;8:7089.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Dede O, Teke M, Daggulli M, et al. Elastography to assess the effect of varicoceles on testes: a prospective controlled study. Andrologia. 2016;48:257–61.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Ucar AK, Alis D, Samanci C, et al. A preliminary study of shear wave elastography for the evaluation of unilateral palpable undescended testes. Eur J Radiol. 2017;86:248–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Richenberg J, Belfield J, Ramchandani P, et al. Testicular microlithiasis imaging and follow-up: guidelines of the ESUR scrotal imaging subcommittee. Eur Radiol. 2015;25:323–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Renshaw AA. Testicular calcifications: incidence, histology and proposed pathological criteria for testicular microlithiasis. J Urol. 1998;160:1625–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Drut R, Drut RM. Testicular microlithiasis: histologic and immunohistochemical findings in 11 pediatric cases. Pediatr Dev Pathol. 2002;5:544–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Holm M, Lenz S, De Meyts ER, et al. Microcalcifications and carcinoma in situ of the testis. BJU Int. 2001;87:144–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Sun Z, Xie M, Xiang F, et al. Utility of real-time shear wave elastography in the assessment of testicular torsion. PLoS One. 2015;10:e0138523.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Marte A, Pintozzi L, Creti G, et al. Long-term follow-up of testicular microlithiasis in children and adolescents: multicenter prospective cohort study of the Italian Society of Pediatric Urology. Eur J Pediatr Surg. 2017;27:155–60.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Goddi A, Sacchi A, Magistretti G, et al. Real-time tissue elastography for testicular lesion assessment. Eur Radiol. 2012;22:721–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Aigner F, De Zordo T, Pallwein-Prettner L, et al. Real-time sonoelastography for the evaluation of testicular lesions. Radiology. 2012;263:584–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Rocher L, Criton A, Gennisson JL, et al. Testicular Shear wave elastography in normal and infertile men: a prospective study on 601 patients. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2017;43:782–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Pedersen MR, Osther PJ, Rafaelsen SR. Testicular microlithiasis and preliminary experience of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging. Acta radiol Open. 2016;5:2058460116658686.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  29. Marcon J, Trottmann M, Rubenthaler J, et al. Three-dimensional vs. two-dimensional shear-wave elastography of the testes—preliminary study on a healthy collective. Clin Hemorheol Microcirc. 2016;64:447–56.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Cooper ML, Kaefer M, Fan R, et al. Testicular microlithiasis in children and associated testicular cancer. Radiology. 2014;270:857–63.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiology Department, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey

    Zuhal Bayramoglu, Rana Gunoz Comert, Yunus Emre Akpinar, Emine Caliskan, Ravza Yilmaz & Ibrahim Adaletli

  2. Radiology Department, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Sedat Giray Kandemirli & Mehmet Cingoz

  3. Urology Department, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Tayfun Mevlut Oktar & Bilal Cetin

Authors
  1. Zuhal Bayramoglu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sedat Giray Kandemirli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rana Gunoz Comert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yunus Emre Akpinar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Emine Caliskan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ravza Yilmaz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Tayfun Mevlut Oktar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Bilal Cetin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Mehmet Cingoz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Ibrahim Adaletli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zuhal Bayramoglu.

Ethics declarations

Ethical statement

The study was approved by the institutional review committee.

Financial disclosure

The authors have no relevant financial interest in this article.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have all participated in the design, execution, and analysis of the paper, and that they have approved the final version. Additionally, there are no conflicts of interest in connection with this paper, and the material described is not under publication or consideration for publication elsewhere. No financial support was received while the paper was prepared.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bayramoglu, Z., Kandemirli, S.G., Comert, R.G. et al. Shear wave elastography evaluation in pediatric testicular microlithiasis: a comparative study. J Med Ultrasonics 45, 281–286 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-017-0837-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-017-0837-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation