Power Doppler US of the normal prepubertal testis: does it live up to its promises?
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether power Doppler ultrasound (US) improves the detection of flow in normal prepubertal testes.


METHODS
Seventy-two normal testes of 38 prepubertal boys (age range, 2 weeks to 12.5 years) were scanned with color and power Doppler US (7-MHz transducer). The two modalities were compared subjectively to determine which one was more sensitive for detection of flow. Only reproducible intratesticular flow signals were considered positive; capsular flow was disregarded.


RESULTS
Power Doppler US depicted flow in 50 testes (69%), while color Doppler US depicted flow in 47 testes (65%, not statistically significant). Power and color Doppler US combined depicted flow in 57 testes (79%), which was significant when compared with color Doppler US alone (P = .002). Detection of flow was subjectively easier with power Doppler US in 10 of 72 testes, while it was easier with color Doppler US in 14 of 72 testes. Motion artifacts were greater with power Doppler US.


CONCLUSIONS
Power Doppler US was equally sensitive as conventional color Doppler US in the detection of flow in normal prepubertal testes. Combining both modalities improved detection of flow in 14% of cases and may be useful in excluding torsion in children. For a positive preoperative diagnosis of torsion in children, radionuclide scintigraphy remains the imaging modality of choice.
Albrecht
T
T
Department of Imaging, Hammersmith Hospital, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, England.
Lotzof
K
K
Hussain
H K
HK
Shedden
D
D
Cosgrove
D O
DO
de Bruyn
R
R
D016477:Artifacts; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011627:Puberty; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013086:Spermatic Cord Torsion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013737:Testis / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color