Value of SonoElastography for evaluation of testicular masses: a preliminary study

Objective: To correlate gray-scale testicular sonography and SonoElastography of intratesticular masses with histopathology confirmation.

Methods: Included in this study were 20 intratesticular masses detected on gray-scale high-reslution sonography. All these lesions were additionally evaluated with SonoElastography (Hitachi EUB-8500). Sonoelastography displays the tissue elasticity from red (soft) to blue (stiff). Hard lesions were considered as malignant. All patients had tumormarkers, histopathology confirmation and/or follow-up examination.

Results: Thirteen/20 lesions with increased stiffness in SonoElastography were histological confirmed solid lesions (germ cell tumor, seminoma, teratoma, mixed tumors, sarcoma). Five focal inflammatory lesions showed no signs of increased stiffness and disappeared in the follow-up examination. Two small lesions with cystic appearance and no increase of stiffness in SonoElastography, present themselve stable in the follow-up examinations.

Conclusions: This preliminary study confirms the utility of SonoElastography in detection of intratesticular masses and demonstrated different elasticity patterns in neoplastic and non-neoplastic disease.