Shear wave elastography evaluation of testicular stiffness in dogs affected by testicular pathology

Shear wave elastography (SWE) is an advanced ultrasound technique that assesses tissue stiffness by measuring shear wave speed (SWS) produced after an acoustic impulse. It includes bidimensional (2D-SWE) and focal point (pSWE) methods, allowing qualitative and quantitative analysis of tissue stiffness. This study aimed to describe the elastographic features of testicular abnormalities in dogs, supported by histological findings. Eighteen dogs with testicular abnormalities underwent B-mode ultrasound, power and color Doppler ultrasound, 2D-SWE, and pSWE before orchiectomy. Five cryptorchid testes were excluded and thirty-one testes (12 normal, 7 with leydigomas, 6 with seminomas, 1 with a round cell tumor, and 5 with orchitis) were examined. Normal testes, lesions, and adjacent healthy tissues (no evident ultrasound changes, NEUC) were sampled. Testicular abnormalities presented SWS values of 1.05–4.89 m/s (2D-SWE) and 1.35–5.31 m/s (pSWE). Significant differences were observed among normal testes, NEUC areas, and those with orchitis, leydigomas, and seminomas by both 2D-SWE and pSWE. Normal testes were significantly softer than ones with leydigomas, seminomas, and orchitis, and NEUC areas also had different SWS values compared to those with tumors and orchitis (p < 0.05). However, SWE techniques lacked specificity in differentiating between orchitis and tumors. Diagnostic accuracy of SWE techniques for testicular lesions remains challenging and requires further investigation to fully address its clinical potential.