title: Ultrasonographic appearance of clinically healthy testicles and epididymides of rams.
abstract: The clinically healthy testicles and epididymides of 31 rams were imaged inside and outside the breeding period, by using a real time ultrasound scanner. A scanning technique based on multiple imaging planes from the caudal and the lateral surface of the genitalia was employed. Optimum imaging was achieved by using a 6.0 MHz frequency sector transducer. The testicular parenchyma appeared homogeneous with a coarse medium echo-pattern. The mediastinum testis was present in 87% of rams and 77% of testicles; its median echogenicity score was 2 (range: 0-3) among rams aged 13 months or older and 1 among rams aged less than 13 months (P = 0.001). The tail of the epididymis was always clearly visible; it appeared less echoic than the testicular parenchyma and with a heterogeneous structure. The epididymal body was not visible, whilst the epididymal head was consistently partially imaged. The pampiniform plexus was clearly imaged as a dome-shaped structure masking the upper part of the head of the epididymis. The scrotal septum was seen in lateral sonograms as a highly echogenic line between the testicles. The scrotal skin formed a thick hyper-echoic peripheral structure.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Faculty, University of Thessaly, PO Box 199, GR-43100 Karditsa, Greece. ngoule@vet.uth.gr
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Gouletsou
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Amiridis
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cripps
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lainas
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Deligiannis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saratsis
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Fthenakis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004822:Epididymis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000502:physiology; D012756:Sheep / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013737:Testis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography