Role of Thermography in the Diagnosis of Undescended Testes

Abstract

Objectives: The location of an undescended testis is important for the choice of therapy. Ultrasonography cannot serve as a stand-alone screening method in the management of the undescended testis because of its limited sensitivity and accuracy. The aim of this study was to clarify the diagnostic value of thermography in the patients with undescended testes. Methods: We evaluated prospectively 28 patients with 36 undescended testes from January 1995 to December 1996. The patients’ ages ranged from 16 to 39 months with a mean age of 26.3 ± 8.2 months. In addition to physical palpation by a pediatric surgeon, ultrasonography and thermography were performed for screening the locations of retained testes. Results: The diagnostic rates were 63.9% (23/36) by palpation, 65.7% (23/35) by ultrasonography and 54.5% (18/33) by thermography. The results of the three diagnostic methods showed no significant difference by Fisher’s exact test. Of the 17 higher located testes (inguinal canal and above external ring) 7 were palpable, 8 were identified by ultrasonography, 10 were detected by thermography. Of the 7 nonpalpable testes and testes not detected by ultrasonography, 5, including 2 intra-abdominal testes, were identified by thermography. Conclusion: It is suggested that thermography can play a role in locating high undescended testes which are nonpalpable and not detected by ultrasonography.