Real-time Point-of-care Ultrasound for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Testicular Torsion

Background: Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency that needs prompt diagnosis and treatment. Point-of-Care ultrasound (POCUS) can not only establish the diagnosis but also guide the Emergency Physician in evaluating the response to manual detorsion. Case Report: We describe the case of a 13-year-old male who presented with acute scrotal pain. We demonstrate how bedside ultrasound was used to make the diagnosis of testicular torsion, guide the technique for manual detorsion, and confirm adequate return of blood flow. Our case illustrates the ease with which POCUS can be used in real time to diagnose and treat organ-threatening pathology, but more importantly, it shows how real-time POCUS was used to detorse a testicle that was refractory to the standard detorsion technique. Conclusion: The acute scrotum is a time-sensitive presentation and if testicular torsion is present, the diagnosis should be made as soon as possible. Many Emergency Departments do not have 24-hour coverage of ultrasound technicians, which would delay the diagnosis and treatment. Moreover, when manual detorsion is attempted, it often does not work because the testicle may need more than the standard 180 degree medial to lateral rotation. POCUS provides real-time analysis of return of blood flow and can thus guide further rotation, or opposite direction rotation, as needed.

93 Sexually Transmitted Infections Remain Under-Diagnosed and Under-Treated in Young Men Presenting with Acute Scrotal Pain

Introduction Epididymitis or epididymo-orchitis causing acute scrotal pain in men ≤35 years is a common presentation to primary and secondary care.Most are caused by sexually-transmitted-infections in this age group. Failure to identify or treat STIs in this population may lead to subfertility.We assessed our practice against British Association of Sexual Health and HIV guidelines. Method Men (age ≤35) diagnosed at our centre with epididymitis/epidiymo-orchitis between January2015 and January2020 were included (n = 313, age range 16-35). Data collected included microbiological and radiological reports,antimicrobial treatment prescribed and documentation of appropriate advice and follow-up.Patients with previous STI were excluded. Results 53 (16.9%) patients had mid-stream urine analysed;one identified bacterial growth (e.coli).15/313 patients were screened for c.trachomatis.228 (72.8%) patients had a scrotal ultrasound;167 (73.2%) reports suggested epididymitis.32 patients underwent immediate scrotal exploration;19 were epididymitis,one required orchidectomy. Advice to attend GU-Medicine-clinic was documented in 48cases (15.3%).20 patients (6.4%) received optimal antibiotic management; 83 (26.5%) received suitable antibiotics assuming non-gonococcal cause.210 patients received inadequate/inappropriate antibiotics. Conclusions Management of patients with acute scrotal pain is sub-optimal;most patients were inadequately investigated and most received inappropriate antibiotics which may lead to subfertility.Better education and written patient information on risks of STIs may improve outcomes in this population.

Ultrasonographic findings of epididymal torsion in adults - a rare cause of acute scrotum

Introduction. Epididymal torsion is a rare cause of acute scrotum. Only a few cases have been described in the literature, and preoperative ultrasound diagnosis was done only in two cases. So far, according to our data, cases of epididymal torsion in adults have not previously been reported in the literature. Case Report. We report the case of a 39-year-old man, who was admitted to the hospital for pain in the left hemiscrotum lasting for three days. The physical examination revealed a swelling limited to the left hemiscrotum, so the patient was referred for an ultrasound examination with the diagnosis of epididymitis. The ultrasonography showed that the left epididymis was significantly enlarged in the head area with and heterogeneous structure of the parenchyma on a grayscale, without a significant Color Doppler signal. At the level of the neck and the body of the epididymis, there was a ?whirlpool sign? with a reactive hydrocele and edema of the left scrotum soft tissue that was highly suspicious for torsion of the epididymis. The patient underwent emergency surgery and epididymal torsion of about 540 degrees was confirmed intraoperatively. Conclusion. The torsion of the epididymis should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of acute scrotal pain in adults.

Cold weather increases the risk of scrotal torsion events: results of an ecological study of acute scrotal pain in Scotland over 25 years

The role of ambient temperature in the aetiology of acute scrotal pain (ASP) remains uncertain. The most common causes of ASP are torsion of the testis (TT) or its appendages (TA) and epidymo-orchitis (EO). We undertook an ecological study of ASP in Scotland to determine whether a seasonal variation could be observed. Episode reports for TT, TA and EO in Scotland over 25 years were collated monthly. Statistical analyses were performed to determine whether changes in ambient temperature during the year could explain variations in monthly frequency. 7882 episodes of TT and TA (Group A), and 25,973 episodes of EO (Group B) were reported. There was significant variance in the frequency of Group A (p < 0.0001) and B (p = 0.0031) episodes by month, higher frequency of Group A episodes in the colder half of the year (p < 0.0001), and an inverse correlation between the frequency of Group A episodes and ambient temperature (Spearman r = − 0.8757, 95% CI − 0.9661 to − 0.5941, p = 0.0004). Ambient temperature is likely to be playing a role in the aetiology of TT and TA in Scotland but not EO. Further study is warranted to explain underlying mechanisms.

Ethnic minorities are at greater risk of presenting late with acute scrotal pain

Aim: Delayed presentation in acute testicular torsion increases risk of testicular loss. We investigated whether there is a delay in presentation with suspected torsion in patients from an ethnic minority. Patients and methods: A retrospective audit of patients undergoing scrotal exploration for suspected torsion from September 2014 to September 2019 was completed. Notes were used to identify time between onset of pain and presentation to hospital. Patients’ ethnicity was identified through voluntary demographic information. Median time to presentation was compared between ethnic minorities and white British patients, as well as exploration findings. Results: Ethnic minority patients ( n=29) with suspected torsion presented significantly later with a median of 19 hours (range 1.3–192) compared to 4 hours (0.5–96) in white British patients ( n=65). ( p<0.001) In patients found to have torsion with or without testicular loss, ethnic minority patients ( n=18) presented at a median of 17.5 hours (3.1–192) compared to 3 hours (0.5–84) in white British patients ( n=33), a statistically significant delay ( p<0.001). The relative risk of ethnic minorities requiring orchidectomy when presenting with torsion was 12.83. Conclusion(s): In our population, ethnic minorities present later with acute scrotal pain, increasing their risk of testicular loss. More study is required to identify causes of delayed presentation in these patients with the aim of improving health education. Level of evidence: 3