Ultrasonography of the spermatic cord in children with testicular torsion: impact on the surgical strategy.

PURPOSE: Many surgeons advocate systematic exploration for acute scrotum rather than risking a misdiagnosis of testicular torsion. Study of testicular vascularization with color Doppler sonography (CDS) can be inaccurate, leading to dangerous false-negative results. We determine whether direct visualization of the twisted cord during emergency high resolution ultrasonography (HRUS) is a reliable sign to diagnose the torsion and whether its absence can dispense with unnecessary surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1993 to 2002 an average of 35 patients per year presented with acute scrotum, and 44 patients had spermatic cord torsion. CDS and HRUS were performed in all cases. Transversal and longitudinal scans on both sides of the scrotum permitted comparison of testicular echogenicity, size and vascularization. The spermatic cord was studied along its complete length to detect spiral twist. The surgical findings were correlated with the preoperative results.

RESULTS: Spermatic cord torsion at surgery was confirmed in all 44 cases. The time lost by the examination was never more than 30 minutes. Intratesticular blood flow was absent in the affected testis in 31 cases, and CDS was unreliable in the others. In all cases, regardless of CDS findings, HRUS succeeded in detecting the twist as a snail shell-shaped mass measuring 11 to 33 mm.

CONCLUSIONS: The finding of a twisted spermatic cord is a highly reliable sign for the diagnosis of testicular torsion. Whereas normal intratesticular perfusion does not dispense with emergency exploratory surgery, direct and complete visualization of a nontwisted spermatic cord strongly indicates that surgery is unnecessary. Strict conditions are required, including time spent on HRUS should not exceed 30 minutes, which generally can only be achieved by a senior pediatric radiologist.