Acute Testicular Torsion
1.What is testicular torsion?
Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency. It can happen to one or both testicles in which a painful twisting of a boy’s testicle and spermatic cord occurs. The spermatic cord is a tubular group of nerves, sperm tube, and blood vessels leading from the groin to the testicles.
Torsion causes blood not to flow to the testicles and damages them. Surgery needs to be performed right away to prevent permanent injury or loss of the testicles.
2. What are the Causes of testicular torsion?
The testicles are not completely attached in the scrotum
- Heavy physical activities
- Sometimes seen in fathers, sons, and brothers. (i.e. may be linked to a gene)
3. What are the Signs & Symptoms of testicular torsion?
The severity of the symptoms depends on whether the testicle is partly or fully twisted. Symptoms can occur a bit differently in each child. The testicle may be closer to the groin and the scrotum may be:
- Painful. The pain is usually very severe & may come & go.
- Red
- Swollen
- Firm
- Bruised
4. What is the Treatment of testicular torsion?
If you suspect that your son has testicular torsion, you should bring him to a specialist surgeon or emergency department right away for evaluation & treatment.
The more severe the torsion, the more quickly the treatment is needed. Surgery should be done within 6 hours of symptoms.
Surgery aims to untwist the torsion & save the affected testicle together with keeping the testicles in place so that torsion will not happen again.