Ultrasound in the diagnosis of granulomatous orchitis

Abstract

Granulomatous orchitis is a rare and unusual disease which was first described by Grunberg in 1926. Since then there have been approximately 150 cases reported (Mazzolli et al, 1976; Sporer & Seebode, 1982). The diagnosis of granulomatous orchitis is a difficult one, and according to Sporer and Seebode (1982), the disease has never been diagnosed prior to surgery. Ultrasound may have a role to play in the preoperative diagnosis. To our knowledge the sonographic features of granulomatous orchitis have not been described. A patient referred to the ultrasound department for evaluation, with symptoms referable to the testis, was found to have uniformly decreased echogenicity of that testis when compared to the contralateral normal testis. This was later histologically confirmed to be granulomatous orchitis.