Sonographic evaluation of blunt scrotal trauma

Scrotal sonography provides rapid, painless, high-resolution tomographic imaging of scrotal contents. Therefore, it is useful for traumatized scrotum in which physical examination alone is either inadequate or equivocal. To analyze the value of sonography in guiding the therapeutic approach, we examined 19 cases of blunt scrotal trauma with special attention to testicular abnormality, origin and extent of scrotal hematoma. The results were as follows; 1. Five testicular abnormalities were properly detected by the demonstration of ill defined outline, separation of tunica albuginea, coarse echo pattern, small scattered echolucencies and/or echolucent mass(es) in the testis. 2. In most cases of scrotal hematomas, the exact extent and the effects of hematoma on the testis were visualized satisfactory. 3. In certain cases of hematoceles and a case of scrotal wall hematoma, sonographic findings alone were enough to determine the sites of origin