Ultrasonographic evaluation of the rete testis thickness: a promising approach to differentiate obstructive from nonobstructive azoospermia
This study aimed to evaluate the ability of rete testis thickness (RTT) and testicular shear wave elastography (SWE) to differentiate obstructive azoospermia (OA) from nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). We assessed 290 testes of 145 infertile males with azoospermia and 94 testes of 47 healthy volunte...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Asian Journal of Andrology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ajandrology.com/article.asp?issn=1008-682X;year=2023;volume=25;issue=6;spage=725;epage=730;aulast=Li |
| _version_ | 1797352204447776768 |
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| author | Xin Li Ru-Hui Tian Peng Li Chun-Xiao Li Ming-Hua Yao Chen-Cheng Yao Xiao-Bo Wang Li-Ren Jiang Zheng Li Rong Wu |
| author_facet | Xin Li Ru-Hui Tian Peng Li Chun-Xiao Li Ming-Hua Yao Chen-Cheng Yao Xiao-Bo Wang Li-Ren Jiang Zheng Li Rong Wu |
| author_sort | Xin Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study aimed to evaluate the ability of rete testis thickness (RTT) and testicular shear wave elastography (SWE) to differentiate obstructive azoospermia (OA) from nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). We assessed 290 testes of 145 infertile males with azoospermia and 94 testes of 47 healthy volunteers at Shanghai General Hospital (Shanghai, China) between August 2019 and October 2021. The testicular volume (TV), SWE, and RTT were compared among patients with OA and NOA and healthy controls. The diagnostic performances of the three variables were evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic curve. The TV, SWE, and RTT in OA differed significantly from those in NOA (all P ≤ 0.001) but were similar to those in healthy controls. Males with OA and NOA were similar at TVs of 9–11 cm3 (P = 0.838), with sensitivity, specificity, Youden index, and area under the curve of 50.0%, 84.2%, 0.34, and 0.662 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.502–0.799), respectively, for SWE cut-off of 3.1 kPa; and 94.1%, 79.2%, 0.74, and 0.904 (95% CI: 0.811–0.996), respectively, for RTT cut-off of 1.6 mm. The results showed that RTT performed significantly better than SWE in differentiating OA from NOA in the TV overlap range. In conclusion, ultrasonographic RTT evaluation proved a promising diagnostic approach to differentiate OA from NOA, particularly in the TV overlap range. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:12:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-06997fdf3a784fb39bb88f75ef03c7d8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1008-682X 1745-7262 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:12:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Asian Journal of Andrology |
| spelling | doaj.art-06997fdf3a784fb39bb88f75ef03c7d82024-01-18T10:38:54ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsAsian Journal of Andrology1008-682X1745-72622023-01-0125672573010.4103/aja20234Ultrasonographic evaluation of the rete testis thickness: a promising approach to differentiate obstructive from nonobstructive azoospermiaXin LiRu-Hui TianPeng LiChun-Xiao LiMing-Hua YaoChen-Cheng YaoXiao-Bo WangLi-Ren JiangZheng LiRong WuThis study aimed to evaluate the ability of rete testis thickness (RTT) and testicular shear wave elastography (SWE) to differentiate obstructive azoospermia (OA) from nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). We assessed 290 testes of 145 infertile males with azoospermia and 94 testes of 47 healthy volunteers at Shanghai General Hospital (Shanghai, China) between August 2019 and October 2021. The testicular volume (TV), SWE, and RTT were compared among patients with OA and NOA and healthy controls. The diagnostic performances of the three variables were evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic curve. The TV, SWE, and RTT in OA differed significantly from those in NOA (all P ≤ 0.001) but were similar to those in healthy controls. Males with OA and NOA were similar at TVs of 9–11 cm3 (P = 0.838), with sensitivity, specificity, Youden index, and area under the curve of 50.0%, 84.2%, 0.34, and 0.662 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.502–0.799), respectively, for SWE cut-off of 3.1 kPa; and 94.1%, 79.2%, 0.74, and 0.904 (95% CI: 0.811–0.996), respectively, for RTT cut-off of 1.6 mm. The results showed that RTT performed significantly better than SWE in differentiating OA from NOA in the TV overlap range. In conclusion, ultrasonographic RTT evaluation proved a promising diagnostic approach to differentiate OA from NOA, particularly in the TV overlap range.http://www.ajandrology.com/article.asp?issn=1008-682X;year=2023;volume=25;issue=6;spage=725;epage=730;aulast=Liazoospermia; differential diagnosis; rete testis thickness; shear wave elastography |
| spellingShingle | Xin Li Ru-Hui Tian Peng Li Chun-Xiao Li Ming-Hua Yao Chen-Cheng Yao Xiao-Bo Wang Li-Ren Jiang Zheng Li Rong Wu Ultrasonographic evaluation of the rete testis thickness: a promising approach to differentiate obstructive from nonobstructive azoospermia Asian Journal of Andrology azoospermia; differential diagnosis; rete testis thickness; shear wave elastography |
| title | Ultrasonographic evaluation of the rete testis thickness: a promising approach to differentiate obstructive from nonobstructive azoospermia |
| title_full | Ultrasonographic evaluation of the rete testis thickness: a promising approach to differentiate obstructive from nonobstructive azoospermia |
| title_fullStr | Ultrasonographic evaluation of the rete testis thickness: a promising approach to differentiate obstructive from nonobstructive azoospermia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ultrasonographic evaluation of the rete testis thickness: a promising approach to differentiate obstructive from nonobstructive azoospermia |
| title_short | Ultrasonographic evaluation of the rete testis thickness: a promising approach to differentiate obstructive from nonobstructive azoospermia |
| title_sort | ultrasonographic evaluation of the rete testis thickness a promising approach to differentiate obstructive from nonobstructive azoospermia |
| topic | azoospermia; differential diagnosis; rete testis thickness; shear wave elastography |
| url | http://www.ajandrology.com/article.asp?issn=1008-682X;year=2023;volume=25;issue=6;spage=725;epage=730;aulast=Li |
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