eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Genitourinary

Torsion of the Appendices and Epididymis: Follow-up

Author: Jason S Chang, MD, Clinical Instructor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Mar 24, 2009

Follow-up

Further Inpatient Care

  • If diagnostic uncertainty for testicular torsion remains, the patient warrants urological consultation and close monitoring of the testicular examination.

Complications

  • No recognized complications of this condition warrant attention.

Prognosis

  • The prognosis is excellent.
  • Long-term sequelae to this condition do not exist. Virtually all patients have uneventful recoveries.

Patient Education

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Torsion of testicular appendices is a diagnosis of exclusion in patients presenting with acute hemiscrotum.
  • A false-positive diagnosis of this condition (ie, missed testicular torsion) is a major medical/legal pitfall. A negative color Doppler ultrasonography result is not 100% sensitive in ruling out testicular torsion, especially in the case of intermittent testicular torsion.
  • Immediate surgical exploration is appropriate in cases of doubtful diagnosis.
  • Missed testicular torsion may lead to the loss of spermatogenesis in the affected testicle within 4-6 hours.
 
Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous authors, Sean O Henderson, MD, and Gregory Alfred, MD, to the development and writing of this article.



More on Torsion of the Appendices and Epididymis

Overview: Torsion of the Appendices and Epididymis
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Torsion of the Appendices and Epididymis
Treatment & Medication: Torsion of the Appendices and Epididymis
Follow-up: Torsion of the Appendices and Epididymis
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

acute scrotum, acute scrotum in children, testicular torsion, testicular pain, acute scrotal pain, appendix epididymis, appendix of epididymidis, pedunculated hydatid, appendix testis, nonpedunculated hydatid, ovarium masculinum, sessile hydatid, torsion of appendices, torsion of epididymis

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Jason S Chang, MD, Clinical Instructor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Jason S Chang, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, Emergency Medicine Residents Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Theodore J Gaeta, DO, MPH, FACEP, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Joan and Sanford Weill Medical College at Cornell University; Vice Chairman and Program Director of Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Methodist Hospital; Academic Chair, Adjunct Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, St George's University School of Medicine
Theodore J Gaeta, DO, MPH, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: Alliance for Clinical Education, American College of Emergency Physicians, Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine, Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors, New York Academy of Medicine, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Richard H Sinert, DO, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Research Director, State University of New York College of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Kings County Hospital Center
Richard H Sinert, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

John D Halamka, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Jonathan Adler, MD, Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Division of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Jonathan Adler, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: eMedicine.com, Inc. Consulting fee Consulting

 
 
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