Testicular Torsion in the Undescended Testis of a Four-Year-Old: A Delayed Diagnosis

In this report, we discuss the case of a four-year-old boy known to have global developmental delay (GDD) and infantile spasm. The child was brought to the emergency department (ER) with a tender inguinal swelling and fever. Notably, there was no previous indication of an undescended testicle (UDT),...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2024-01, Vol.16 (1), p.e51664
Main Authors: Alshaibani, Leena K, Alshaibani, Sara K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Children & youth
Constipation
Emergency medical care
Hernias
Infertility
Medical diagnosis
Patients
Pediatrics
Ultrasonic imaging
Urology
Vomiting
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Summary:In this report, we discuss the case of a four-year-old boy known to have global developmental delay (GDD) and infantile spasm. The child was brought to the emergency department (ER) with a tender inguinal swelling and fever. Notably, there was no previous indication of an undescended testicle (UDT), and the scrotum was not examined in the ER initially. The abdominal radiograph was unremarkable, and an ultrasound of the groin was requested to investigate the nature of the swelling. The ultrasound yielded a differential diagnosis of direct or indirect inguinal hernia containing intestinal loops or a necrotic lymph node. Ultimately, scrotal examination and repeated imaging confirmed the diagnosis of bilateral UDT with torsion and suspected infarction on the right side. Both UDT and testicular torsion (TT) are prevalent genitourinary disorders. However, the occurrence of torsion in an undescended testis is not commonly observed or documented, particularly within the age group presented in our case. TT is a surgical emergency, and its prognosis relies on early recognition and management in order to salvage the testis. In this case, there was a missed examination opportunity; therefore, it is imperative for emergency physicians to routinely include scrotal examination as part of the physical assessment when evaluating children with abdominal or groin pain in order to promptly identify such cases.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.51664