Testicular vasculitis - literature review and case report in queensland

What is beyond testicular torsion and epididymitis? Rare differential diagnoses of acute scrotal pain in adults: A systematic review

Background

Acute scrotal pain is a urological emergency. While for testicular torsion and acute epididymitis clinical recommendations are well established, few is known about low incidence causes of acute scrotal pain. Our aim is to identify and characterise rare differential diagnoses of acute scrotal pain in order to give diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations.

Materials and methods

A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library databases up to February 2019 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. The systematic review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42018099472).

Results

Eighty-four publications were selected for analysis. The databases provided mostly case reports, series and small studies, overall reporting on a cohort of 245 cases. Tumors, segmental testicular infarction, testicular vasculitis, pancreatitis, brucellosis, spermatic vein thrombosis, acute aortic syndrome and appendicitis were identified as rare underlying causes of acute scrotal pain and were characterised. As a result of our data analysis we were able to draw an overview of the rare differential diagnoses and diagnostic management of acute scrotal pain.

Conclusion

Rare differential diagnoses of acute scrotal pain are susceptible to misinterpretation as testicular torsion or acute epididymo-orchitis. Surgical management is indicated in case of suspicion for torsion or tumor. We herein present knowledge of the rare differential diagnoses and raise awareness for associated systemic disease in order to facilitate disease management and increase the potential for testicle-sparing treatment.

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First systematic approach to assess literature for rare differential diagnoses of acute scrotal pain.

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Disease characterization including sonographic features.

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Flow chart for the diagnostic and treatment options of acute scrotal pain beyond testicular torsion and common epididymo-orchitis.

Polyarteritis nodosa isolated to the testis and urinary bladder in the setting of cryptorchidism: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Polyarteritis nodosa is a small vessel to medium vessel vasculitis that frequently presents with multi-organ involvement, but can sometimes be limited to single organs such as the testes. Patients often require treatment with glucocorticoids, plus or minus additional immunosuppressive therapy depending on the severity of the disease. We describe a rare case of polyarteritis nodosa involving the right testis and urinary bladder without other systemic features of vasculitis.

CASE PRESENTATION

A previously healthy 54-year-old First Nations Canadian man presented with intermittent gross hematuria. He underwent surgical excision of his right testis for cryptorchidism and a transurethral resection of a bladder mass. Histology showed an active medium vessel vasculitis in both organs. On extensive clinical, laboratory, and radiographic review, he had no systemic features of vasculitis. On 2-year follow-up, he has not required any systemic therapy and has not developed further symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Single organ polyarteritis nodosa can sometimes be managed with surgical excision of the involved organ alone. Although our patient had two organs involved, we extrapolated the results of our literature search to guide his care. This case highlights the potential for surgical excision to cure polyarteritis nodosa despite the involvement of two organs in the absence of symptoms and signs of systemic vasculitis.

Testicular Vasculitis: A Sonographic and Pathologic Diagnosis

Very little has been published about single-organ vasculitis of the testicle in the radiological literature. Consequently, it is a diagnosis that is unfamiliar to most radiologists. This case report describes the sonographic, pathologic, and laboratory findings of testicular vasculitis and reviews the available literature with regard to this subject.