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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Vet. Sci.

Sec. Animal Reproduction - Theriogenology

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1691917

This article is part of the Research TopicTIAR 2025: Advances in Animal ReproductionView all articles

Ultrasonographic features of epididymitis in dogs: a case series

Provisionally accepted
Stefano  SpadaStefano Spada1Marco  RussoMarco Russo2Sebastian  Patrick ArltSebastian Patrick Arlt1*Bianca Lourdes  FrehnerBianca Lourdes Frehner1Gaia  PaganiGaia Pagani1Joana  Rodriguez CarvalhoJoana Rodriguez Carvalho1Hélène  JainekHélène Jainek1Nicola  AmbrosioNicola Ambrosio2Daniela  De FeliceDaniela De Felice2Johannes  HerbelJohannes Herbel1
  • 1Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
  • 2Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal production, University of Naples, Federico II, Naples, Italy

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Introduction: Epididymitis in dogs is an underreported but clinically relevant condition, often associated with scrotal pain, systemic inflammation, and infertility. Diagnosis commonly relies on clinical and ultrasonographic findings, even though information concerning the latter are poorly documented. This report aims to describe the ultrasonographic features of epididymitis in a series of clinical canine cases, including clinical and laboratory findings. Materials and Methods: Clinical cases of dogs affected by epididymitis were retrospectively included. Clinical signs, andrological findings, ultrasonographic abnormalities of the epididymis and testicles, blood analysis and, where available, cytological or histopathological data were recorded. Ultrasonographic features evaluated included epididymal size, capsular integrity, echotexture, vascularization, presence of mineralization and scrotal effusion. Results: Fourteen dogs with epididymitis were included, and the condition was unilateral in eleven dogs (eight left-sided) and bilateral in three. On B-mode ultrasound the epididymal tail was the most frequently affected portion. Other frequent findings included epididymal enlargement, capsular irregularity, and inhomogeneous echotexture. Mineralization, hypoechoic cavities, and peri-epididymal oedema were observed, but not present in all cases. Concurrent testicular and urogenital abnormalities, along with leucocytosis and neutrophilic left shift, were common in acute cases. Conclusion: This is the first case series describing ultrasonographic patterns of epididymitis in dogs. Early recognition via ultrasound may support targeted treatment and fertility preservation.

Keywords: epididymitis1, ultrasound2, dog3, testicles4, inflammation5

Received: 24 Aug 2025; Accepted: 07 Oct 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Spada, Russo, Arlt, Frehner, Pagani, Rodriguez Carvalho, Jainek, Ambrosio, De Felice and Herbel. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Sebastian Patrick Arlt, sebastian.arlt@uzh.ch

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