Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The acute scrotum in children: A review

  • Published:
World Journal of Urology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The diagnosis of acute scrotal pathology cannot always be made with a history and physical examination alone. Today the surgeon has available to him several ancillary diagnostic modalities to include radionuclide scanning, ultrasonography, and the Doppler ultrasonic flowmeter. These techniques can diagnose intrascrotal pathology with a high degree of accuracy. The presentation of acute scrotal problems in infants and children is reviewed, the surgical approach to their management, and the role of ancillary imaging techniques are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Perri AJ, Slachta GA, Feldman AE, Kendall AR, Karafin L (1976) The Doppler stethoscope and the diagnosis of the acute scrotum. J Urol 116:598–600

    Google Scholar 

  2. Thompson IM, Latourette H, Chadwick S, Ross G, Lichti E (1975) Diagnosis of testicular torsion using Doppler ultrasonic flowmeter. Urology 6:706–707

    Google Scholar 

  3. Levy BJ (1975) The diagnosis of torsion of the testicle using the Doppler ultrasonic stethoscope. J Urol 113:63–65

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hricak H, Jeffrey RB (1983) Sonography of acute scrotal abnormalities. Radiol Clin North Am 21:595–603

    Google Scholar 

  5. Perri AJ, Morales JO, Feldman AE, Kendall AR, Karafin L (1976) Necrotic testicle with increased blood flow on Doppler ultrasonic examination. Urology 8:265–267

    Google Scholar 

  6. Nasrallah PF, Manzone D, King LR (1977) Falsely negative Doppler examinations in testicular torsion. J Urol 118:194–195

    Google Scholar 

  7. Betts JM, Norris M, Cromie WJ, Duckett JW (1983) Testicular detorsion using Doppler ultrasound monitoring. J Pediatr Surg 18:607–610

    Google Scholar 

  8. Brereton RJ (1981) Limitations of the Doppler flowmeter in the diagnosis of the “Acute Scrotum” in boys. Br J Urol 53:380–383

    Google Scholar 

  9. Lutzker LG (1982) The fine points of scrotal scintigraphy. Semin Nucl Med 12:387–393

    Google Scholar 

  10. Holder LE, Melloul M, Chen D (1981) Current status of radionuclide scrotal imaging. Semin Nucl Med 11:232–249

    Google Scholar 

  11. Vordermark JS, Buck AS, Brown SR, Tuttle WK (1981) The testicular scan: use in diagnosis and management of acute epididymitis. JAMA 245:2512–2514

    Google Scholar 

  12. Nadel NS, Gitter MH, Hahn LC, Vernon AR (1973) Preoperative diagnosis of testicular torsion. Urology 1:478–479

    Google Scholar 

  13. Vordermark JS, Favila MQ (1982) Testicular necrosis: a preventable complication of epididymitis. J Urol 128:1322–1324

    Google Scholar 

  14. Stadalnik RC (1981) Increased scrotal activity. Semin Nucl Med 11:315

    Google Scholar 

  15. Mishkin FS (1981) Lucent scrotal contents. Semin Nucl Med 11:317

    Google Scholar 

  16. Leopold GR, Woo VL, Scheible W, Nachtsheim D, Gosink B (1979) High resolution ultrasonography of scrotal pathology. Radiology 131:719–722

    Google Scholar 

  17. Richie JP, Birnholz J, Garnick MB (1982) Ultrasonography as a diagnostic adjunct for the evaluation of masses in the scrotum. Surg Gynecol Obstet 154:695–698

    Google Scholar 

  18. Udall DA, Drake DJ, Rosenberg RS (1981) Acute scrotal swelling: a physical sign of primary peritonitis. J Urol 125:750–751

    Google Scholar 

  19. Nagel P (1984) Scrotal swelling as the presenting symptom of acute perforated appendicitis in an infant. J Pediatr Surg 19:177–178

    Google Scholar 

  20. Armoury RA, Barth GW, Hall RT, Rhodes PG, Holder TM, Ashcraft KW (1982) Scrotal ecchymosis: sign of intraperitoneal hemorrhage in the newborn. South Med J 75:1471–1478

    Google Scholar 

  21. Engels M (1977) Das Scrotalödem als erster Hinweis auf einen intraabdominellen entzündlichen Prozess. Pädiatr Pädol 12:55–57

    Google Scholar 

  22. Dinari G, Haimov H, Griffman M (1971) Umbilical arteritis and phlebitis with scrotal abscess and peritonitis. J Pediatr Surg 6:176

    Google Scholar 

  23. Thurston A, Whitaker R (1982) Torsion of testis after previous testicular surgery. Br J Surg 70:217

    Google Scholar 

  24. McNellis DR, Rabinovitch HH (1980) Repeat torsion of “fixed” testis. Urology 16:476–477

    Google Scholar 

  25. Bartsch G, Frank S, Marberger H, Mikuz G (1980) Testicular torsion: late results with special regard to fertility and endocrine function. J Urol 124:375–378

    Google Scholar 

  26. Thomas WEG, Williamson RCN (1983) Diagnosis and outcome of testicular torsion. Br J Surg 70:213–216

    Google Scholar 

  27. Harrison RG, deMarval MJ, Lewis-Jones DI, Connolly RC (1981) Mechanism of damage to the contralateral tests in rats with an ischemic testis. Lancet II:723–725

    Google Scholar 

  28. Lewis-Jones DI, deMarval MM, Harrison RG (1982) Impairment of rat spermatogenesis following unilateral experimental ischemia. Fertil Steril 38:482–490

    Google Scholar 

  29. Hemalatha V, Rickwood AMK (1981) The diagnosis and management of acute scrotal conditions in boys. Br J Urol 53:455–459

    Google Scholar 

  30. Skoglund RW, McRoberts JW, Ragde H (1970) Torsion of testicular appendages: presentation of 43 new cases and a collective review. J Urol 104:598–600

    Google Scholar 

  31. Brereton RJ, Manley S (1980) Acute scrotal pathology in boys. Z Kinderchir 29:343–357

    Google Scholar 

  32. Vordermark JS (1983) The persisting mesonephric duct syndrome: the description of a new syndrome. J Urol 130:958–961

    Google Scholar 

  33. Gislason T, Noronha RFX, Gregory JG (1980) Acute epididymitis in boys: a 5-year retrospective study. J Urol 124:533–534

    Google Scholar 

  34. Vordermark JS (1985) Acute epididymitis: experience with 123 cases. Milit Med 150:27–30

    Google Scholar 

  35. Witherington R, Harper WM (1982) The surgical management of acute bacterial epididymitis with emphasis on epididymectomy. J Urol 128:722–725

    Google Scholar 

  36. Gierup J, von Hedenberg C, Osterman A (1975) Acute nonspecific epididymitis in boys. Scand J Urol Nephrol 9:5

    Google Scholar 

  37. Zivkovic SM, Janjic G (1980) Traumatic rupture of the testis and epididymis. J Pediatr Surg 15:287–288

    Google Scholar 

  38. Jeffrey RB, Laing FC, Hricak H, McAninch JW (1983) Sonography of testicular trauma. Am J Radiol 141:993–995

    Google Scholar 

  39. Rockwell GF, Bean M, Courtney R, Easley K (1984) Rupture of the scrotum associated with meconium peritonitis. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 23:103

    Google Scholar 

  40. Nicholas JL, Morgan A, Zachary RB (1970) Idiopathic edema of scrotum in young boys. Surgery 67:847–850

    Google Scholar 

  41. Ong TH, Soloman JR (1973) Fat necrosis of the scrotum. J Pediatr Surg 8:919–924

    Google Scholar 

  42. Donohue R, Utley WLF (1975) Idiopathic fat necrosis in the scrotum. Br J Urol 47:331–333

    Google Scholar 

  43. Weary PE, Graham GF, Selden RF (1966) Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn. South Med J 59:960–965

    Google Scholar 

  44. Wilson HD, Haltalin KC (1973) Acute necrotizing fasciitis in childhood. Am J Dis Child 125:591–595

    Google Scholar 

  45. Sussman SJ, Schiller RP, Shashikumar VL (1978) Fournier's syndrome: report of three cases and review of the literature. Am J Dis Child 132:1189–1191

    Google Scholar 

  46. Muelder M (1983) Fournier's gangrene. World J Surg 7:677

    Google Scholar 

  47. Alders N (1954) Scrotal gangrene in a newborn baby. Arch Dis Child 29:160–162

    Google Scholar 

  48. Adeyokunnu AA (1983) Fournier's syndrome in infants. Clin Ped 22:101–103

    Google Scholar 

  49. Sahn DJ, Schwartz AD (1972) Schönlein-Henoch syndrome: observations on some atypical clinical presentations. Pediatrics 49:614–616

    Google Scholar 

  50. Turkish VJ, Traisman HS, Belman AB, Given GZ, Marr TJ (1976) Scrotal swelling in the Schönlein-Henoch syndrome. J Urol 115:317–319

    Google Scholar 

  51. Mares AJ, Shkolnik A, Sacks M, Feuchtwanger MM (1980) Aberrant (Ectopic) adrenocortical tissue along the spermatic cord. J Pediatr Surg 15:289–292

    Google Scholar 

  52. Bearss RW (1980) Splenic-gonadal fusion. Urology 16:277–279

    Google Scholar 

  53. McLean GK, Alavi A, Ziegler MM, Pollack HM, Duckett JW (1981) Splenic-gonadal fusion: identification by radionuclide scanning. J Pediatr Surg 16:649–651

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Urology Service, Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, 80045, Aurora, Colorado, USA

    Jonathan S. Vordermark

Authors
  1. Jonathan S. Vordermark
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vordermark, J.S. The acute scrotum in children: A review. World J Urol 2, 243–248 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00326695

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00326695

Keywords

Search

Navigation