Torsion of a Communicating Hydrocele Presented as Acute Scrotum: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Ivonete Siviero,André Lima Da Cunha,Ivens Baker Méio,Danielle Nunes Forny,Saulo Marcos Rebello Ferrante

doi:10.1155/2016/7236104

Ivonete Siviero, André Lima Da Cunha + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/7236104

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Abstract

Torsion of a communicating hydrocele is extremely rare, and the cause is unclear. We report the case of a 3-year-old boy referred to us with acute scrotum. Operative findings revealed torsion of a communicating hydrocele with a 360-degree rotation of the distal end. We performed surgical excision of the necrotic cystic mass and high ligation of the peritoneal communication. A high index of suspicion is required for the correct diagnosis and treatment of this condition, which should be included among the causes of acute scrotum in childhood.

Highlights

Acute scrotum in children is usually caused by torsion of testicular appendages, testicular torsion, or epididymitis/orchitis [1]
Eleven cases of hernia sac torsion have been reported in the English literature, and only one was characterized as
Among the cases described as hernia sac torsion, two had a history of ipsilateral scrotum enlargement, suggesting communicating hydrocele

Summary

Introduction

Acute scrotum in children is usually caused by torsion of testicular appendages, testicular torsion, or epididymitis/orchitis [1]. Torsion of hernia sac or communicating hydrocele is extremely rare as a cause of acute scrotum. Eleven cases have been reported in the literature to date [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. We report the case of a 3-year-old boy with torsion of a communicating hydrocele. We describe the clinical picture and emphasize the great importance of this disease in the differential diagnosis of acute scrotum

Case Report

Discussion