Orchitis

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of orchitis are similar to those of testicular torsion. These can include:

• hematospermia (blood in the semen)
• hematuria (blood in the urine)
• severe pain
• visible swelling of a testicle or testicles and often the inguinal lymph nodes on the affected side.

Causes

Orchitis can be related to epididymitis infection that has spread to the testicles (then called "epididymo-orchitis"), sometimes caused by the sexually transmitted infections chlamydia and gonorrhea. It has also been reported in cases of males infected with brucellosis. Orchitis can also be seen during active mumps, particularly in adolescent boys and girls.

Ischemic orchitis may result from damage to the blood vessels of the spermatic cord during inguinal herniorrhaphy, and may in the worst event lead to testicular atrophy.

Diagnosis

• Blood – ESR high
• Urine – Cultural & Sensitivity test
• Ultrasound scanning

Treatment

In most cases where orchitis is caused by epididymitis, treatment is an oral antibiotic such as cefalexin or ciprofloxacin until the infection clears up. In both causes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as naproxen or ibuprofen are recommended to relieve pain. Sometimes stronger pain medications in the opiate category are called for and are frequently prescribed by experienced emergency department physicians.

Other animals

Orchitis is not rare in bulls and rams. It has also been described in roosters.

References

References

1. {{DorlandsDict. six/000075643. orchitis
2. ''Brucellosis in Humans and Animals'' World Health Organization Publication number WHO/CDS/EPR/2006.7 [https://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/Brucellosis.pdf]{{page needed. (November 2014)
3. (August 2009). "European Hernia Society guidelines on the treatment of inguinal hernia in adult patients". Hernia.
4. (December 2008). "Bacterial orchitis and epididymo-orchitis in broiler breeders". Avian Pathology.