title: Testicular-sparing surgery: a reasonable option in selected patients with testicular lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe our experience of inguinal exploration in patients who had a reasonable chance of having a benign testicular lesion.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1995 to 2002, 11 patients (mean age 43 years, range 27-63) with testicular masses that were suspected to be benign underwent inguinal exploration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In nine of the 11 patients, frozen-section analysis and the final pathological results were similar, and two underwent inguinal orchidectomy. In seven patients the testicle was spared. Finally, because of an uncertain pathological diagnosis and patient age, two patients underwent orchidectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inguinal exploration and testicular-sparing surgery are reasonable options in patients with peripheral intratesticular lesions, on the basis of preoperative ultrasonographic characteristics, and if there is a possibility of the mass being benign because of age, race, physical examination and tumour markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Passarella
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Usta
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Bivalacqua
authors.forename: W J G
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hellstrom
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007264:Inguinal Canal / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D013737:Testis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins