{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,14]],"date-time":"2026-03-14T06:35:59Z","timestamp":1773470159550,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,9]],"date-time":"2021-12-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1639008000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Andrology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>The connection between testicular ultrasound (US) parameters and testicular function, including both spermato\u2010 and steroidogenesis has been largely suggested, but their predictive properties are not routinely applied. Radiomics, a new engineering approach to radiological imaging, could overcome the visual limit of the sonographer.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study is aimed at extracting objective testicular US features, correlating with testicular function, including both spermato\u2010 and steroidogenesis, using an engineering approach, in order to overcome the operator\u2010dependent subjectivity.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Materials and methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Prospective observational pilot study from December 2019 to December 2020 on normozoospermic subjects and patients with semen variables alterations, excluding azoospermia. All patients underwent conventional semen analysis, pituitary\u2010gonadal hormones assessment, and testicular US, performed by the same operator. US images were analyzed by Biolab (Turin) throughout image segmentation, image pre\u2010processing, and texture features extraction.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>One hundred seventy US testicular images were collected from 85 patients (age 38.6\u00a0\u00b1\u00a09.1 years). A total of 44 first\u2010order and advanced features were extracted. US inhomogeneity defined by radiomics significantly correlates with the andrologist definition, showing for the first time a mathematical quantification of a subjective US evaluation. Thirteen US texture features correlated with semen parameters, predicting sperm concentration, total sperm number, progressive motility, total motility and morphology, and with gonadotropins serum levels, but not with total testosterone serum levels. Classification analyses confirmed that US textural features predicted patients\u2019 classification according to semen parameters alterations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>Radiomics texture features qualitatively describe the testicular parenchyma with objective and reliable quantitative parameters, reflecting both the testicular spermatogenic capability and the action of pituitary gonadotropins. This is an innovative model in which US texture features represent a mirror of the pituitary\u2010gonadal homeostasis in terms of reproductive function.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/andr.13131","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,25]],"date-time":"2021-11-25T09:07:44Z","timestamp":1637831264000},"page":"505-517","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["From subjective to objective: A pilot study on testicular radiomics analysis as a measure of gonadal function"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3790-7645","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bruno","family":"De Santi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Biolab Department of Electronics and Telecommunications Politecnico di Torino  Turin 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