Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34048149›Full record

ReviewAndrology2021

The role of scrotal ultrasonography from infancy to puberty.

Matteo Spaziani, Claudio Lecis, Chiara Tarantino, Emilia Sbardella, Carlotta Pozza, Daniele Gianfrilli

Open access · hybridAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Andrology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
4.6field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Matteo SpazianiSection of Medical Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5645-5766
Claudio LecisSection of Medical Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Chiara TarantinoSection of Medical Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Emilia SbardellaSection of Medical Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Carlotta PozzaSection of Medical Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-1147-6114
Daniele GianfrilliSection of Medical Pathophysiology and Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-2682-8266
Policlinico Umberto I · ITSapienza University of Rome · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundScrotal ultrasonography is an essential diagnostic tool in daily clinical practice. The availability of new-generation ultrasound machines characterized by clearly improved image quality, low health cost, and higher patient safety, represents only some characteristics of ultrasound investigation. The usefulness of scrotal ultrasonography is particularly evident in the period of life from infancy to puberty, during which males undergo important morphofunctional changes, and several pathological conditions may occur.

objectivesThis pictorial review primarily aimed to investigate the aspects of ultrasonography related to the normal physiological development of the gonads from mini-puberty to pubertal onset. This study also aimed to provide an update on the use of ultrasonography in main andrological pathologies that may occur during this period. The conditions that are discussed in depth are: cryptorchidism, inguinoscrotal hernias, and hydrocele in the neonatal phase; acute scrotum, epididymo-orchitis, and testicular cancers in childhood; and hypogonadism, varicoceles, testicular microlithiasis, and oncohematological pathology in puberty. DISCUSSION: We provided an ultrasound slant for all the above-mentioned pathologies while purposely avoiding excessive deepening of the pathogenetic, clinical, and therapeutic aspects. Studying the ultrasound aspects of the gonads also facilitates differential diagnosis between various conditions and represents a good aid in evaluating therapeutic success (e.g., in hypogonadism or postsurgical evaluation of varicoceles and cryptorchidism).

conclusionScrotal ultrasonography is now globally recognized as the necessary completion of clinical-laboratory overview in gonads evaluation. This diagnostic procedure is even more indispensable in the infancy-childhood-puberty period for the evaluation of normal gonadal development as well as diagnosis of other possible diseases.

Indexed as

PubertyAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolGenital Diseases, MaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleMedical IllustrationScrotumUltrasonographyandrological pathologieschildhoodinfancymini-pubertypubertyscrotal ultrasonography

Identifiers

PMID34048149
PMCPMC8596602
OpenAlexW3163992468

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.