ROLE OF SHEAR WAVE ELASTOGRAPHY IN EVALUATION OF NORMAL TESTES AND IN PATIENTS WITH VARICOCELE

Abstract

Background and objectives: Varicocele refers to the anomalous enlargement of the veins within the pampiniform plexus. Shear wave elastography (SWE) is an innovative, consistent, and non-invasive ultrasonographic imaging technique employed for assessing the stiffness and flexibility of diverse tissues. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of SWE in detecting alterations in testicular stiffness among adult individuals diagnosed with varicocele. Materials and methods: This prospective comparative study, approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), included the enrollment of 60 patients with varicocele and an equal number of 60 control patients. All US examinations will be performed using Philips EPIQ 5 and Philips Affinity 70 system equipped with shear wave point quantification, ELASTPQ, using curvilinear broadband transducer C5-2. Results: The mean SWE values exhibited a notable difference between the two groups and in the comparisons within each group (P < 0.05). Additionally, a significant disparity was observed in mean testicular volumes between the case and control groups (P < 0.0001). The SWE values were significantly different when comparing the case and control groups. However, no significant correlation was found between testicular stiffness and volume in either group. Conclusion: It is recommended that further investigations involving larger patient populations be conducted to validate the efficacy of shear wave elastography (SWE) in predicting damage to testicular parenchyma