Scrotal calculi are freely moving concretions that lie in the space between the tunicae lining the scrotum and the testicles. They are believed to originate either as fibrinous deposits in the tunica vaginalis testis or as remnants of the appendix testis or appendix epididymidis that have undergone torsion and become freely movable. A sector real-time scanner with a 7.5-MHz transducer and a small-parts scanner with a 10-MHz transducer were used to visualize scrotal calculi in two patients. The ultrasonic appearance is described along with the surgical findings, and the pathogenesis of this benign process is discussed.
We reviewed high-resolution real-time sonographic images (especially selected for a lack of technical artifacts) of the fetal spine of 46 normal fetuses between 18-27 menstrual weeks of development. The degree of visible posterior neural arch ossification was graded and compared with the gestational age. Recognizable early ossification of the laminae was seen in the cervical region of all fetuses studied. Similar ossification followed sequentially in the thoracic, lumbar, and sacral regions; however, sonographically recognizable ossification of the laminae in the lumbar spine was delayed until 22-24 weeks and in the sacral spine until 25 weeks or more. Awareness of these features will help to prevent false-positive diagnoses of dysraphism and, conversely, hopefully augment our ability to detect such lesions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.