title: Sonographic appearances of the postoperative testis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the sonographic findings observed in the testis in patients who have undergone testicle-sparing surgery and surgical biopsies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the color Doppler sonographic findings from 14 patients after testicular interventions: 2 open biopsy procedures for infertility and 12 testicle-sparing surgical procedures (1 for spontaneous intratesticular hemorrhage and 11 for small tumors). Ten patients had benign tumors; one had a malignancy. Three patients were symptomatic; all others were studied as follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hypoechoic and hypovascular lesions at site of surgery were seen in 10 of the 11 patients after tumorectomy; no changes were observed in one patient. The lesions were either linear or an irregularly triangular shape, located at the surgical site, and interpreted as scars. Retraction of the testicular surface was detected in two cases. In the eight patients who underwent follow-up, lesions disappeared in one case, became smaller in two, and remained stable in five. Of the two patients who underwent biopsy, one developed peritesticular hematoma, and both had late hypoechoic scars in the testis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypoechoic and hypovascular scars are a "normal" postoperative pattern after testicle-sparing surgery. They are either linear or triangular, with rectilinear margins. Such findings need to be correctly interpreted and not misinterpreted as recurrences.
authors.affiliation: Radiologia d'Urgenza, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria S. Martino IST, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Attieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences (DISC), Urology Section, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bertolotto
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences (DISC), Urology Section, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Alchiede
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simonato
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences (DISC), Urology Section, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carmignani
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), Radiology Section, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Derchi
mesh_terms: D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D013737:Testis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: follow-up; postoperative changes; testicle-sparing surgery; testicular biopsy; ultrasonography