Ultrasound of the Paediatric Scrotum: A Pictorial Review

Abstract

Scrotal pathologies in young boys have a wide differential diagnosis. Clinical presentation can vary widely and eliciting a 'patient history' can be challenging. Moreover, due to the small size of the testis and epididymis, clinical examination in most cases is difficult. Therefore, imaging of the scrotum plays a major role in the management of these disorders. Of all the imaging modalities used for evaluating scrotal disorders in children, sonography is the first and foremost. It provides excellent information regarding anatomy and blood flow, is readily accessible and can be performed relatively rapidly. Use of sedatives and intravenous access are unnecessary. A wide variety of scrotal pathologies in children are presented in this pictorial review. For ease of evaluation, we have classified the paediatric scrotal disorders based on their clinical presentations as acute painful scrotum and scrotal masses.