High Resolution Gray Scale and Color Doppler Ultrasound Evaluation of the Scrotum at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, Nigeria

Objectives: The scrotum and its contents can be affected by a wide variety of pathologic processes which include: congenital, inflammatory and neoplastic pathologies. Scrotal lesions may be grouped into painful and non-painful lesions, while scrotal masses are grouped into testicular and extratesticular masses. Ultrasonography performed with the high-frequency transducer, using pulse and colour Doppler modes is the imaging modality of choice for evaluating acute and non-acute scrotal diseases.

Methodology: This was a retrospective study carried out over a period of 18 months (from June 2016 to November 2017), at the Department of Radiology of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Rivers State, Nigeria. The study population was patients who presented to the department for scrotal evaluation. The inclusion criteria were patients scanned during the 18 months period, whose request forms and written reports where intact. Exclusion criteria were for patients not scanned during the period and those whose document was not complete.

Results: 74 cases of scrotal scan which met the inclusion criteria were retrieved and analysed for this study. The age range was 6years to 75years, while the mean age was 38.89± 1.531 years. Infertility 17(22.97%), scrotal swelling 11(14.86%) and scrotal pain 11(14.86%) were the most common clinical indications for the scan. Twenty-one (28.38%) of the scans were standard. Hydrocele was the most frequent abnormality detected on ultrasonography constituting 27(36.49%). This was closely followed by varicocele which constituted 16(21.62%) cases.