Abstract
To assess the value and efficacy of real-time shear-wave elastography (SWE) of normal testicular parenchyma and various common testicular diseases in clinical practice. SWE was undertaken in 338 patients (mean age: 43.2±17.2 years, range 17-78 years) comprising normal testicles (n=358), testicular microlithiasis (n=40), and various testicular diseases (n=208) and the stiffness was recorded. The final diagnosis was correlated with the clinical context, long-term follow-up, or histopathology. Statistical evaluation was performed to provide a stiffness threshold for pathological diagnosis. The mean size of testicular lesions was 2.6±1.5 cm (range: 10-42 mm). The mean Young's modulus value for normal testis was recorded at 4.55±2.54 kPa. Whatever the stage of microlithiasis, a higher statistically significant stiffness value was recorded. For acute orchitis, the mean stiffness value was slightly higher, but not statistically significantly. The testicular tumoural processes presented a median stiffness value of 21.02 kPa with a cut-off of 16.1 kPa. Fibrosis presented the highest median stiffness value of 30.03 kPa with a cut-off of 26.3 kPa. By analysing the distribution of the different pathological groups, the difference was statistically significant between fibrosis and tumoural processes (p=0.001). SWE is a feasible technique in the exploration of the testicular parenchyma. SWE values can be used to differentiate testicular fibrosis from a tumoural process with confidence.
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