NONPULSATILE ARTERIAL WAVE-FORMS - OBSERVATIONS DURING GRADED TESTICULAR TORSION IN RATS

Rationale and Objectives. We tested whether testicular torsion could c ompletely damp distal arterial pulsatility, resulting in venous-appear ing arterial waveforms. Methods. Progressively increasing testicular t orsion was unilaterally produced in five rats, Doppler waveforms of th e testicular artery distal to the torsion were obtained as soon as pos sible after each level of torsion until a complete absence of pulsatil ity was noted. Results. One animal was not studied further after the f irst 180 degrees of torsion occluded flow. In three of the remaining f our animals, the testicular artery resistive index (RI) at baseline (0 .51, 0.58, 0.64) was within the range of the normal human intratesticu lar RI and decreased with increasing torsion, culminating in nonpulsat ile, venous-appearing waveforms at high degrees of torsion. Conclusion s. Testicular torsion can completely damp arterial pulsatility, result ing in nonpulsatile, venous-appearing arterial Doppler waveforms.