title: Grading of classical testicular microlithiasis has no effect on the prevalence of associated testicular tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of further grading of classical testicular microlithiasis (CTM) on the prevalence of associated testicular tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients diagnosed with CTM using scrotal ultrasound over a 5-year period from a referral radiology clinic were included in this study. Patients with CTM were categorized as group 1 (grade I; 5-10 microliths/image), group 2 (grade II 10-20 microliths/image), and group 3 (grade III > 20 microliths/image). Other pathological findings were also recorded. The prevalence of testicular cancer was compared statistically between groups using the chi(2) test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-eight of 4,310 (1.8%) patients were found to have CTM. Of these, 17 (21.7%) had ultrasonographically detected testicular cancer. In patients without CTM (n = 4,232), 58 (1.1%) testicular cancers were found. This accounted to a 19.7-fold increase in the detection rate of testicular cancer in patients with CTM compared to patients without CTM. The rates of testicular cancer detected in groups 2 and 3 were 25 (6/24) and 26.6% (4/15), respectively (p > 0.05), while it was 17.9% (7/39) in group 1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CTM is an uncommon incidental finding in patients undergoing testicular ultrasonography, and grading of CTM plays no role in the prevalence of testicular cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. sanlio@istanbul.edu.tr
authors.forename: Oner
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sanli
authors.forename: Alev
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kadioglu
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atar
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Acar
authors.forename: Isme
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nane
authors.forename: Ates
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kadioglu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D020347:Lithiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*