1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the normal testis: preliminary findings

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the pre- and postpubertal1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopic characteristics of the normal testis to establish baseline values for further clinical studies. Materials and Methods The subjects consisted of male volunteers, of whom 19 were prepubertal with ages between 7 and 13 years and 24 were postpubertal with ages between 19 and 39 years. Their testes were evaluated at 1.5 T with magnetic resonance spectroscopy; in addition, testis volumes were measured. Major metabolite peaks were identified and their ratios were calculated. Metabolite differences of testis between pre- and postpubertal age were analyzed. Results Major constituents of spectra were 3.21 ppm choline and 0.9–1.3 ppm lipid peaks. At the echo time (TE) spectrum of 31 ms, choline/lipid ratios ranged from 0.35 to 8.30 (mean=1.87) in postpubertal males and from 0.06 to 5.45 (mean=0.88) in prepubertal males ( P