THE IMPACT OF SONOGRAPHY ON THE DIAGNOSIS OF SCROTAL DISORDERS

Purpose: We assessed the impact of ultrasound on the referring urologi st diagnosis of scrotal disorders. Materials and Methods: University u rologists (6 attending and 3 resident physicians) in a clinic setting completed questionnaires before and after on 35 patients with scrotal symptoms. The physicians were requested to estimate the probability (0 to 100%) of their most likely diagnosis before and after receiving th e sonographic information. We calculated the mean change in diagnostic percentage confidence and also the proportion of patients whose pre-s onographic diagnosis was changed. Results: Scrotal ultrasound changed the initial diagnosis in 11 of 35 patients (32%, 95% confidence interv al 19 to 49). The mean percentage gain in diagnostic certainty from ul trasound was 29% (95% confidence interval 20 to 39, p < 0.001). Conclu sions: Scrotal ultrasound has considerable impact on referring urologi st diagnosis of scrotal abnormalities.