Warning the testicular torsion in child boy with ectopic testicles

21/07/2022 09:11

Doctors from Pediatric and Neonatal Surgery Department, Viet Duc University Hospital (VDUH) have just performed an emergency surgery to remove the necrotic torsion testicles for a 10-month-old boy.

 

Dr. Hong Quy Quan – MD, MSc, Deputy Chief of Pediatric and Neonatal Surgery Department, Viet Duc University Hospital (VDUH) said: a boy Hoang Gia M, 10 months old from Nghe An province was hospitalized to VDUH by his parents due to pain and swelling in the groin area for 2 days. Through medical examination, that boy diagnosed with undescended testicles from birth at a provincial hospital. Two days ago, he had swelling and pain in his right groin but his parents were far from home, his grandparents had to wait for his parents to come back and take him to Hanoi for examination.

 

When examining, the doctors detected that M’s right scrotum has no testicles in, the mass above the groin was swollen, hot, red, and it was very painful when touching on. Doppler ultrasound check has showed that there was no pulse signal in the right testicle. The patient had transferred to emergency surgery with a diagnosis of testicular torsion. When the right testicle was dissected, there was purple-black necrosis due to 2 twists around the spermatic cord. The patient had to remove the right testicle. Doctor Quan also added that for patients with undescended testicles, the risk of testicular torsion will be higher because the testicles are located high above the groin, not fixed to the scrotum. About 20% of undescended testicle cases can be in that situation. Therefore, for patients with undescended testicles, it is necessary to go to the doctor immediately when the patient suddenly swells and hurts in the groin for timely diagnosis and treatment. The golden time to save testicles is 6 hours from the torsion onset.

 

 

To prevent testicular torsion in patients with undescended testicles:

 

The relatives of pediatric patients with early diagnosis of undescended testicle should be advised on how to monitor the risk of torsion and receive adequate treatment. If there is sudden swelling and pain in the groin, go for medical examination immediately for testicular torsion.

 

The patient should be operated early to descend and fix the testicle to the scrotum. The recommended age of surgery could start from  9 months of age.