this is an uncommon condition characterized by calcium deposits within the seminiferous tubules
ultrasound appearance
multiple, uniform, nonshadowing echogenic foci in the testis
prevalence
true prevalence in the general population is still unknown - reported prevalence range is from 0.6% to 9%
associations with testicular cancer:
there is a reported association between TM and possible subsequent germ cell tumor (GCT) or intratubular germ cell neoplasia
incidence of GCT in patients with TM was reported as 6% to 46%
significance of TM
there are several reports demonstrating interval development of GCT in patients with TM - these may suggest a premalignant nature of TM (1)
however, more recent studies show a lower incidence of associated GCT and no interval development of tumor in relatively longer duration follow-up
suggested that both TM and testicular GCT may be caused by a common defect such as tubular degeneration and TM may present as a marker for such abnormalities (1,2)
management
seek specialist advice
some suggest (1), because of a high incidence of association with GCT, it is prudent to follow up patients with TM with physical examination and ultrasound at least annually and to encourage self-examination
routine use of biochemical tumor markers, abdominal and pelvic CT or testicular biopsy does not seem to be justified
Reference:
(1) Eur Radiol. 2003 Dec;13(12):2567-76 .
(2) Kim B. Testicular tumor and microlithiasis Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology 2006; 32 (5): 82.
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