Imaging of men with testicular complaints

1. MR is the mainstay for imaging the prostate and shows much more detail in the organ than CT. For following metastatic disease to other sites, nuclear medicine or CT may be used but CT does not show much internal detail in the prostate itself.

2. US is the most appropriate imaging for the testis and can detect even small lesions, as well as abnormalities in the surrounding tissues of the scrotum.

3. CT is the most appropriate imaging study for staging and followup of testicular cancer (after orchiectomy), which can spread to the abdomen and retroperitoneum as well as into the mediastinum. Remember that the testicular artery comes off the aorta at the level of the kidneys and the testicular vein drains to this same level, directly into the IVC on the right and into the left renal vein on the left.

Click the links below to review the ACR recommendations for these situations.

prostate cancer

testicular cancer