Ultrasonographic appearance of clinically healthy testicles and epididymides of rams

The clinically healthy testicles and epididymides of 31 rams were imaged inside and outside the breeding period, by using a real time ultrasound scanner. A scanning technique based on multiple imaging planes from the caudal and the lateral surface of the genitalia was employed. Optimum imaging was achieved by using a 6.0 MHz frequency sector transducer. The testicular parenchyma appeared homogeneous with a coarse medium echo-pattern. The mediastinum testis was present in 87% of rams and 77% of testicles; its median echogenicity score was 2 (range: 0-3) among rams aged 13 months or older and 1 among rams aged less than 13 months (P = 0.001). The tail of the epididymis was always clearly visible; it appeared less echoic than the testicular parenchyma and with a heterogeneous structure. The epididymal body was not visible, whilst the epididymal head was consistently partially imaged. The pampiniform plexus was clearly imaged as a dome-shaped structure masking the upper part of the head of the epididymis. The scrotal septum was seen in lateral sonograms as a highly echogenic line between the testicles. The scrotal skin formed a thick hyper-echoic peripheral structure.