Etude comparative du Doppler energie et du Doppler couleur en pathologie scrotale

Since 1993, a new technique called power Doppler or Color Doppler energy, based on Doppler signals, has been utilized in the study of the vascularization of various organs; it appears to produce advantages over color Doppler, in the assessment of slow flow. We therefore used power Doppler to study the vascularization of scrotal lesions. Fifty-nine patients (age range 12 and 62 years mean 35), were examined. Twenty-six presented inflammations (19 acute, 1 acute persistent, 6 recurrent chronic inflammation), 1 chronic testicular torsion, 2 with traumatic scrotal lesions without testicular rupture, 5 hydroceles, 4 with malformations or dystrophies, 12 varicoceles, 2 relapses of varicocele after surgical repair, 1 neoplasm. Six young healthy controls were also examined. All the patients were previously examined in B-mode and subsequently with color and power Doppler; both during the examination and thereafter in the evaluation of similar sections, signals appeared more pronounced and in many cases more numerous with power Doppler signs were confirmed. Therefore, since the signals were more evident with power Doppler, we retain this technique as a promising tool for the study of vascularization of scrotal lesions. It may provide worthwhile information particulary in such cases as testicular torsion in young boys and subacute inflammation.