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Painless swelling of the scrotum may be due either to an increase in bulk of the scrotal contents or to changes affecting the skin of the scrotum. The reliable and rapid differentiation of harmless from serious conditions such as cancer of the testicles, is essential.
BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of testicular torsion in children is challenging, as clinical presentation and findings may overlap with other diagnoses. OBJECTIVE: To define the clinical and ultrasound criteria that best predict testicular torsion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of children hospitalized for acute scrotum from 1997 to 2002 were reviewed. The clinical and ultrasound findings of children who had a final diagnosis of testicular torsion were compared with those of children who had other diagnoses (torsion of the testicular appendix, epididymitis, and epididymo-orchitis). RESULTS: Forty-one children had testicular torsion; 131 had other diagnoses. Stepwise regression analysis yielded three factors that were significantly associated with testicular torsion: duration of pain < or =6 h; absent or decreased cremasteric reflex; and diffuse testicular tenderness. When the children were scored by final diagnosis for the presence of these factors (0-3), none of the children with a score of 0 had testicular torsion, whereas 87% with a score of 3 did. The ultrasound finding of decreased or absent testicular flow had a sensitivity of 63% and a specificity of 99%. Eight of ten children with testicular torsion and normal or increased testicular flow had a coiled spermatic cord on ultrasound. CONCLUSION: We suggest that all children with acute scrotal pain and a clinical score of 3 should undergo testicular exploration, and children with a lower probability of testicular torsion (score 1 or 2) should first undergo diagnostic ultrasound. Because the presence of testicular flow does not exclude torsion, the spermatic cord should be meticulously evaluated in all children with acute scrotum and normal or increased testicular blood flow.
BACKGROUND: Traditionally, every patient with an acute scrotum needed surgical exploration for definitive exclusion of testicular torsion. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the improved accuracy in clinical diagnosis with colour Doppler Ultrasonography (US) added to normal clinical assessment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 626 patients, who presented with acute scrotal pain between January 1998 and June 2004. Following history and physical examination, the patients either proceeded directly to surgery or underwent US examination. If clinical suspicion of testicular torsion persisted after US, the patients would still undergo scrotal exploration. RESULTS: Of the 294 patients who had routine scrotal exploration without preliminary US, only 23 (7.8%) were found to have testicular torsion. Amongst the 332 cases that had initial US, 9 (2.7%) patients revealed testicular torsion that was confirmed at subsequent surgery. The remaining 323 patients had initial negative US, but 29 were explored eventually on clinical indications. Of these, 4 (1.2% of 323) cases were diagnosed intra-operatively as testicular torsion. None of the remaining 294 patients who were managed conservatively proved to have testicular torsion after a minimum follow-up of 2 weeks. For testicular torsion, US yielded a sensitivity of 69.2% (95% confidence interval =38.9-89.5), specificity of 100% (95% CI=98.5-100), positive predictive value of 100% and negative predictive value of 97.5%. CONCLUSIONS: US has proven to decrease the number of emergency scrotal explorations, length of hospital stay and hence reduce the cost of management of acute scrotum.
The scrotum is a superficial structure and clinical examination is frequently not enough for making a specific diagnosis. In acute scrotal pain US can confirm the presumptive clinical diagnosis and provide additional relevant information. In testicular torsion, color-Doppler imaging has a central role since it has become possible to identify it at early stage by showing absence of perfusion in the affected testis before any gray-scale abnormality. Scintigraphy remains a satisfactory alternative in evaluating testicular torsion and should be used when color Doppler is inadequate, raising doubts about the suspected torsion. Diagnosis of torsion of testicular appendages is particularly difficult. Ischemic infarction shows a characteristic pattern at gray-scale and color Doppler imaging, whereas hemorrhagic ischemia may require MRI. Inflammatory diseases of the scrotum can be easily investigated by echo color Doppler and conventional radiography, and CT can be particularly useful in the detection of gas bubbles. In scrotal trauma, scrotal hematoma, hematocele, intratesticular hematoma, and testicular rupture can be identified using gray-scale US with very good reliability. Magnetic resonance imaging is indicated when a small tear of tunica albuginea is suspected but not visualized on US.
A case of ectopic scrotum located in the right inguinal area and associated with covered exstrophy and ipsilateral renal agenesis is described. Initially, repair of the exstrophy was performed. Scrotal reconstruction was carried out after 1 year, during which time the patient developed an inguinal hernia in the ectopic scrotum. The literature is reviewed and the scrotal reconstruction procedure is discussed.
Acute scrotum is one of the rare presentations of acute appendicitis (AA) in paediatric patients. We report a case of acute scrotum due to a retrocaecal, non-perforated AA with a patent processus vaginalis. To date, 15 such cases have been reported in the literature.
A rare case of a newborn male with a perineal hamartoma, accessory scrotum, anorectal anomaly, hypospadias, and bifid scrotum is reported, with discussion of its embryological significance. Only three other cases with such a combination of anomalies have been reported in the English literature.
We report a case of acute scrotum in a 2-year-old child caused by torsion of an indirect hernia sac within a hydrocele. This is an extremely rare cause of acute scrotal swelling and pain in the pediatric population, with this case representing only the eighth instance reported in the literature. Despite the scarcity with which this diagnosis has been encountered, clinicians should include torsion of an indirect hernia sac on the differential diagnosis for acute scrotum in a child.
A 7-year-old boy who presented with a painful left hemiscrotal mass was diagnosed with acquired lymphangioma of the scrotum. Chronic friction from a cast for Perthes' disease might have been the cause of sudden enlargement of a congenital lymphangioma of the scrotum. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was useful for preoperative diagnosis and determining the extent of the scrotal lesions. Total excision of the mass leaving the overlying skin was successfully performed. The clinical significance of MRI for preoperative diagnosis and planning surgical resection of this lesion is discussed.
Aggressive angiomyxoma (AAM) is a locally invasive soft tissue tumor and is predominantly found in the female pelvis and perineum. The incidence of AAM in adult and adolescent males is low, and is very rare in male children. However, two cases of AAM occurred in the scrotum of 8-year-old and 1-year-old boys. Grossly, both tumors were ill-delineated nodules showing myxoid homogenous and lobulated cut surface. The scrotum of case 2 was replaced by the exuberant mass, making a polypoid appearance. On microscopic examination, both had hypocellular myxoid stroma, spindle and stellate stromal cells, and blood vessels of various calibers. Both lesions typically showed infiltrating borders and penetrated into skin adnexa and Dartos' muscle fibers. AAM should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a scrotal mass found in childhood.
We describe an unusual case of balanitis xerotica obliterans (BXO) involving the entire anterior urethra and the scrotum that had presented as a palpable nodular scrotal mass with obstructive voiding symptoms in middle aged man. He was managed by a staged urethroplasty. We report the first such case of BXO involving the scrotum resulting in a nodular mass that has not been described and reported till date.
A gracilis myocutaneous flap was used in a case of severe avulsion of the scrotum and loss of both testicles. The flap was transposed and inset in such a way as to simulate a scrotum of the right volume, shape and texture: the operation gave the patient good psychological support and a very good aesthetic repair of this mutilating injury.
An accessory scrotum is a rare congenital anomaly. The authors report the case of an accessory scrotum in the mid-perineum which was not associated with any other anomalies, and describe the surgical result.
A rare case is presented of Kaposi's sarcoma localized to the scrotum with history, and physical and laboratory findings. Excision of the scrotum with bilateral orchiectomy was performed, with uneventful recovery. Literature is reviewed of Kaposi's sarcoma originating in the male external genitalia.
A forty-three-year-old man complained of painless, firm scrotal nodules which had first appeared at age sixteen. These were diagnosed clinically as multiple epidermoid inclusion cysts and were excised. Histologically they were composed of calcified, amorphous, granular material, characteristic of idiopathic calcinosis of the scrotum. This is a rare, benign condition without any recognized underlying metabolic abnormalities. The cause of idiopathic calcinosis of the scrotum is unknown, but we believe it is due to dystrophic calcification of dartoic muscles.
Twelve patients with carcinoma of the scrotum were evaluated: 9 with squamous carcinoma and 3 with basal cell carcinoma. The presenting complaint was a visible skin lesion; the interval between awareness of this lesion and diagnosis averaged 3.3 years. Three of the 12 patients were black, although this disease previously has been considered rare in blacks. No occupation predominated among the patients in this series, and scrotal carcinoma today may occur as a result of nonspecific factors such as poor hygiene and chronic irritation, rather than industrial exposure. Only 5 of 12 patients were disease-free after treatment; 5 of the others died of squamous carcinoma, 1 died of a postoperative complication, and 1 was lost to follow-up. The most significant correlative with survival was stage at initial diagnosis, indicating the need for a high index of suspicion regarding lesions of the scrotum.
Ultrasound is a reliable and safe method for the evaluation of scrotal anatomy. The usual method of ultrasonic examination has been contact scanning with a conventional articulated arm scanner. We herein report our experience in 108 cases using an ultrasonic technique which provides panoramic scans of the entire scrotum and precision tomographic plane placement without distorting the scrotum or causing patient discomfort.
Leiomyomas of the scrotum are unusual testicular masses and a case report reviewing the ultrasonographic findings of this entity comprises this report. The ultrasonographic characteristics of leiomyoma have not been reported previously. The purpose of this case report is to discuss the findings of ultrasound in evaluation of leiomyoma in the area of the scrotum.