RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To distinguish spermatic cord torsion from acute orchitis by color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirteen patients with acute orchialgia were examined by CDFI. The clinical data of diagnosis and treatment were reviewed and analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The findings of CDFI showed lower or even no blood flow in the testes in 8 cases, which were diagnosed as spermatic cord torsion. Among them, 1 received manual detorsion and 7 were proved by operations. The other 5 showed abundant blood flow signal in the testes and were diagnosed as acute orchitis or epididymo-orchitis. After the use of antibiotics, their symptoms were relieved and the blood flow of the testes reduced upon reexamination.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CDFI plays an important role in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of spermatic cord torsion, and could be regarded as a detecting method of first choice for patients of acute orchialgia.</p>