Clinical importance and prevalence of testicular microlithiasis in pediatric patients.

PURPOSE To evaluate the prevalence of testicular microlithiasis among pediatric patients with inguinoscrotal affections. METHODS Between January 2005 and January 2010, we evaluated, prospectively 1504 children ranging from 1 to 15 years with inguinoscrotal affections with a high-frequency ultrasound system, which employs a 10-MHz transducer. RESULTS Testicular microlithiasis was identified in 20 testes of eleven children (0.71% of 1504 patients evaluated), through an ultrasound scan. Testicular microlithiasis was found in 5 children with cryptorchidism (3.93% of 127 patients), 4 children with retractile testes (14.8% of 27 patients), 1 child with a hypotrophic testis (100% of 1 patient), and 1 child with inguinal hernia (0.07% of 1349 patients). The children with testicular microlithiasis were submitted to annual physical examinations and ultrasound evaluations. CONCLUSIONS Testicular microlithiasis was a rare condition and occurred in 0.7% of the subjects studied. The association with cryptorchidism, retractile and hypotrophic testis was significant.