Is Doppler ultrasound superior to nuclear scintigraphy for diagnosing testicular torsion?

A short systematic review was undertaken to assess whether Doppler ultrasound is superior to nuclear scintigraphy for diagnosing testicular torsion. A structured search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases identified relevant papers. The author, year, country, study type, patient characteristics, key results and study weaknesses were tabulated. Five studies were identified though most were small, single centre, involved paediatric patients and had various limitations. The bottom line is that Doppler ultrasound appears to have comparable diagnostic accuracy to nuclear scintigraphy. Larger prospective comparative studies are needed to strengthen recommendations.