At a Glance
| Also called | Testicular ultrasound, scrotal sonography, USG scrotum, testicular Doppler |
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| Performed and reported by | Our radiologists, Dr. Avinash Bansal and Dr. Vaishnavi Bansal (MD Radiology) |
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| Radiation, injection or contrast | None |
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| Preparation | None needed; wear a two-piece outfit (confirmed on WhatsApp) |
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| Time on the couch | Usually about 15-30 minutes |
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| Report | Most reports the same day, sent to your WhatsApp |
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| Price | Confirmed on WhatsApp before your visit |
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| Insurance | Cashless with most major insurers/TPAs; CGHS, ECHS, MJPJAY |
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| Sudden severe testicular pain | Go to a hospital emergency department first, not an outpatient scan |
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What a scrotal ultrasound and Doppler shows
A small, high-frequency probe gives detailed pictures of each testis and the epididymis (the coiled tube behind it that stores sperm), and colour Doppler shows blood flow in real time. Flow helps separate conditions that can feel alike: an inflamed testis usually has more flow than normal, a twisted one less or none. In Hindi the test is often called अंडकोष की सोनोग्राफी. The report describes:
- Varicocele: swollen veins above and behind the testis, usually on the left, and whether blood flows backwards in them when you strain
- Hydrocele: fluid around the testis, and whether the testis inside it looks normal
- Epididymitis and orchitis: infection or inflammation, usually seen as swelling with increased blood flow
- Epididymal cysts and spermatoceles, which are common and usually harmless
- Lumps: inside or outside the testis, solid or fluid-filled, and their blood supply
- The size (volume) and texture of each testis, compared with the other side
- Other findings, such as a hernia reaching the scrotum, tiny calcium specks (microlithiasis), or blood, fluid or damage to the testis after an injury
Sudden, severe pain in a testicle, with or without swelling, nausea or vomiting, can mean the testis has twisted (testicular torsion), most often in teenage boys and young men. In boys it is sometimes felt mainly as pain in the lower tummy. This is a surgical emergency: go straight to a hospital emergency department, even if the pain eases. Do not wait for an outpatient scan or a report, because the testis can usually be saved only if it is untwisted within hours, and early or partial twisting can still show some blood flow on a scan, so a scan cannot always rule it out. Go to the emergency department too after a hard blow with severe pain or fast-growing swelling, or if the scrotum becomes red, swollen and very painful with fever.
When doctors request a scrotal Doppler
Urologists, andrologists, fertility specialists, surgeons and family doctors commonly request it for:
- A lump, hardness or change in a testis
- Swelling of the scrotum, painful or painless
- A dull, dragging ache that is worse after standing, or veins that feel like a 'bag of worms' (typical of a varicocele)
- Pain building up over hours to days, especially with fever or burning when passing urine (possible infection)
- An abnormal semen analysis or difficulty conceiving
- One testis that feels smaller or softer than the other
- Follow-up after an infection, a minor injury, or varicocele or hernia surgery
Varicocele and male fertility
A varicocele is a group of swollen veins above the testis, like varicose veins in the leg. It is common and often harmless, but it can cause a dull ache, and in some men it is linked with a lower sperm count or a smaller testis. Because these veins fill when you strain, the radiologist checks them while you lie flat and while you take a deep breath in and bear down (the Valsalva manoeuvre), and may also scan you standing. The report gives the width of the veins, whether blood flows backwards in them and the size of each testis; your urologist or fertility specialist decides whether treatment is needed.
In a fertility work-up the scan is read together with your semen analysis, which it cannot replace: it shows the testes, epididymis and veins, not how many sperm are made. A varicocele on the right side only, one that does not empty when you lie flat, or one that appears suddenly in an older man may need a check of the kidneys and abdomen as well, usually with an abdominal ultrasound. If you and your partner are being investigated together, your partner's scans, such as a follicle study or a sono-HSG (HyCoSy), can also be done at the centre.
Lumps and swellings: what the scan can and cannot tell you
Most lumps outside the testis, such as epididymal cysts, are harmless, and so are most hydroceles. Because a hydrocele can hide the testis from your doctor's fingers, the scan checks that the testis inside the fluid looks normal.
A solid lump inside the testis needs prompt review by a urologist, because it is treated as a possible tumour until proven otherwise. Testicular cancer mostly affects younger men and is usually very treatable, so a new, painless lump or hardness should be checked without waiting for it to hurt. Ultrasound shows the lump's position, size and blood flow, but it cannot prove on its own whether a lump is cancer. Such lumps are not usually tested with a needle; your urologist plans the next step, which may include blood tests and surgery. Blood samples your doctor asks for can be given at the centre.
Tiny calcium specks (microlithiasis) are a fairly common finding and usually need no treatment; your doctor may advise regular self-examination, and follow-up scans if you have other risk factors. Pain felt in the testis can also come from elsewhere, such as a kidney stone or a hernia, so a normal scrotal scan may lead your doctor to look further. If the scan cannot fully answer your doctor's question, the report says so and suggests the next test.
How to prepare
Our team confirms the exact preparation when you book on WhatsApp. As a general guide:
- No fasting, no full bladder and no shaving are needed; eat, drink and take your usual medicines
- Wear a two-piece outfit, such as a shirt or kurta with trousers
- Bring your prescription, previous scan reports and, for a fertility work-up, your semen analysis report
- Tell us about any surgery on the groin or scrotum (such as hernia repair, varicocele surgery or vasectomy) and any recent injury
What happens during the scan
It is normal to feel a little shy about this scan, and you can ask any questions before it starts. You lie on your back, and only the area being examined is uncovered; the rest of you stays covered. Gel is applied and the probe is moved gently over each side so the radiologist can compare the two, with colour Doppler switched on to show blood flow (the machine may make a whooshing sound). For a varicocele you will be asked to breathe in and strain, and you may be scanned standing.
Tell the radiologist if a testis is tender: only light pressure is needed, and you can ask to pause at any time. The scan usually takes about 15-30 minutes, and you can go straight back to work or home afterwards.
Ultrasound uses sound waves, not radiation, and a scrotal Doppler needs no injection or contrast. At the settings used for diagnosis it has no known harmful effects on the testes or on fertility, so it can be repeated for follow-up when your doctor advises.
Your scrotal Doppler at AV Scan, Dadar West
To book, send a photo of your prescription on WhatsApp +91 98200 51511, call the same number, or use our booking page.
- Performed and reported by our radiologists, Dr. Avinash Bansal and Dr. Vaishnavi Bansal (both MD Radiology); Dr. Avinash Bansal has particular expertise in Doppler scans of all kinds
- Ultrasound systems at the centre: GE Voluson E10 and Philips Affiniti 70G
- The exact price is confirmed on WhatsApp before your visit
- Cashless with most major insurers and TPAs; empanelled for CGHS, ECHS and MJPJAY
- Open Monday to Saturday 8am-10pm and Sunday 8am-5pm; most reports the same day, sent to your WhatsApp
- Ground floor, step-free: Shilpa Apartment, Shankar Ghanekar Marg, Dadar West, Mumbai 400028, near Shivaji Park and Siddhivinayak Temple
