Sonographic findings of acute vasitis.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to describe the sonographic findings of acute vasitis.

METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of 12 cases of acute vasitis. The following gray scale and color Doppler sonographic features were analyzed: location, echogenicity of the lesion, presence of hydrocele, epididymal involvement, and blood flow within the lesion.

RESULTS

Of the 12 patients, 10 had acute vasitis in the scrotal segment; 1 had acute vasitis in the suprascrotal segment; and 1 had acute vasitis in both the scrotal and suprascrotal segments. The sonographic finding for acute vasitis of the scrotal segment was a heterogeneously hypoechoic appearance of the vas deferens (n = 11). The vas deferens was thickened (6.4 mm in diameter) in the 2 patients with suprascrotal involvement; it was heterogeneously hypoechoic in 1 and had a normal appearance in the other. On color Doppler sonography, the degree of blood flow was increased in all of the cases. Of the 12 patients, 11 had inflammation of the epididymis.

CONCLUSIONS

Acute vasitis usually presents with infection combined with acute epididymitis, and it usually appears as a heterogeneously hypoechoic lesion in the scrotal segment, suprascrotal segment, or both.