Management and Outcome of Testicular Torsion in Children: A Teaching Hospital Experience

Abstract

Background: Testicular torsion is a common cause of acute scrotum and may lead to ischemia of the testis. The aim of this study was to evaluate our experience in the management of children who had testicular torsion. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of children aged 15 years and younger who were managed for testicular torsion between January 2014 and December 2018 at the pediatric surgery unit of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital Enugu, Nigeria. Results: A total of 79 cases of confirmed testicular torsions were treated during the study period. The median age of the patients was 9 years with a range of 2 weeks to 14 years. Majority of the patients presented 48 hours after onset of their symptoms. The patients received treatment within 24 hours of presentation and abdominal pain was a consistent symptom in all the patients. Half of the patients had a preoperative Doppler ultrasound. Right side of the testis was mostly involved and three-quarters of the patients had orchidopexy whereas one-quarter of the patients had orchidectomy. Surgical site infection was the most common post-operative complication. However, there was no mortality. Conclusion: Delays in presentation may have resulted in testicular loss in 25% of the patients in the present study. We recommend high index of suspicion in children who present with scrotal pain.