Pitfalls in imaging for acute scrotal pathology

Differentiation among the many clinical situations that can present with acute scrotal pain is a significant diagnostic problem in clinical practice. A firm diagnosis is often difficult based on clinical history and physical examinations alone, and imaging is usually requested for this purpose. However, imaging findings alone may not clarify the diagnosis as imaging studies have to be interpreted in close correlation with clinical information and with knowledge of the possible pathologic situations underlying the clinical presentation of the specific patient. In this article we describe and discuss the most common problems encountered when performing diagnostic studies for acute scrotal symptoms and the solutions for, possibly, avoiding them.