Testicular Torsion: Causes, Symptoms, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention and Complications

Testicular torsion results from the twisting of the spermatic cord, which feeds blood to the scrotum, when a testicle rotates. The reduced blood flow causes sudden, often severe discomfort and edema.

The spermatic cord that provides blood to the scrotum the loose pouch of skin that houses the testicles beneath the penis twists as a testicle rotates during testicular torsion. The reduced blood flow causes sudden, often severe discomfort and edema.

Although testicular torsion can occur at any age even before birth, it most commonly occurs in young people between the ages of 12 and 18.

Torsion of the testicles usually requires emergency surgery. If the testicle is treated quickly, it can usually be saved. But if the blood supply is cut off for a prolonged period.

Causes Of Testicular Torsion

Blood from the abdomen enters the testicle as it spins on the spermatic cord, causing testicular torsion. The testicle may completely stop receiving blood flow if it rotates more than once, which would accelerate the rate of destruction.

The cause of testicular torsion is unknown. Most boys who develop testicular torsion have a genetic characteristic that allows the testicle to freely rotate inside the scrotum from birth. Both testicles are typically impacted by this hereditary condition. Testicular torsion, however, is not a common symptom among men.

Testicular torsion frequently happens when you're sleeping, a few hours after a strenuous workout, or following a minor testicular injury. Extreme cold or the testicles' fast development during adolescence could be one of the reasons for testicular torsion.

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Symptoms Of Testicular Torsion

Testicular torsion symptoms and markers include:

• An abrupt and intense scrotal pain—the loose pouch of skin that houses your testicles
• Penile swelling
• Stomach ache
• Vomiting, and nausea
• A testicle elevated or angled abnormally from the typical location of frequent urine
• High temperatures
• Scrotal pain usually wakes up young boys with testicular torsion in the middle of the night or early in the morning.

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Risk Factors of Testicular Torsion

• Years in age: Testicular torsion most commonly affects people between the ages of 12 and 18.
• Previous Testicular Torsion: Recurrence is common with testicular pain that was managed non-medically with intermittent torsion and detorsion. The more often discomfort episodes occur, the higher the risk of testicular harm.
• It is a family history of testicular torsion: This condition could run in families.

Diagnosis Of Testicular Torsion

To confirm a diagnosis or identify an alternative cause for your symptoms, medical testing can be necessary. Take this example:

• Urine test: This test searches for pathogens.
• Transvaginal ultrasound: This type of ultrasound is used to track blood flow. Reduced blood flow to the testicle is a sign of torsion of the testicles. However, since the reduced blood flow is not always evident, testicular torsion may not always be ruled out by ultrasound.
• Surgery: It might be necessary to rule out testicular torsion or other disorders as the cause of your symptoms.
• If your physical examination results show that you have testicular torsion and you have been experiencing discomfort for several hours, you can be rushed straight to surgery without any additional testing. Postponing surgery runs the risk of testicle loss.

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Treatment Of Testicular Torsion

Testicular torsion requires surgical correction. To untwist the testicle, the doctor might occasionally be able to do a manual detorsion, which involves pressing on the scrotum. Surgery will still be necessary to prevent the torsion from occurring again, though.

General anesthesia is usually used for testicular torsion surgery. During the surgery, your doctor will make a small incision in your scrotum, remove your spermatic cord if necessary, and suture one or both of your testicles to the inside of your scrotum.

The sooner the testicle is untwisted, the better chance it has of surviving. Six hours after the discomfort starts, there is a considerable increase in the risk that testicles may need to be removed. When going to therapy more than 12 months after the start of pain there is at least a 75 percent chance of needing testicle removal.

Testicular torsion in neonates and infants

Neonates and newborns may experience testicular torsion, however, it is rare. The baby's testicles could be firmer, bigger, or darker in color. Since ultrasound may not detect decreased blood flow to the infant's scrotum, surgery may be necessary to confirm testicular torsion.

It is controversial how to treat infantile testicular torsion. If a boy is born with signs and indicators of testicular torsion, there is a risk associated with general anesthesia, and emergency surgery might not be able to help in time. To prevent the other testicle from being torn, timely surgery may be able to preserve all or part of the testicle in certain situations. Future problems in the treatment of neonates with testicular torsion.

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Prevention Of Testicular Torsion

Some males are genetically predisposed to rotating their testicles in the scrotum. The only treatment available to you if you have this feature and want to avoid testicular torsion is surgery to join both testicles to the interior of the scrotum.

Your doctor will question you to determine whether testicular torsion or something else is the source of your symptoms. Doctors often use physical examinations of the groin, testicles, belly, and scrotum to diagnose testicular torsion.

To test your reflexes, your doctor may also lightly press or squeeze the inside of your leg on the affected side. Usually, this causes the testicle to constrict. This response may not occur if you have testicular torsion.

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Complications Of Testicular Torsion

Torsion of the testicles can lead to the following complications:

• Testicles may suffer injury or even be destroyed: A blocked blood supply may cause irreparable damage to the testicle if testicular torsion is not treated within a few hours. If there is significant damage, the testicle needs to be medically removed.
• Incapable of having children: A man's ability to father offspring can occasionally be affected by damage to or loss of a testicle.

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