Symptoms of testicular orchitis

Inflammation of the urogenital system in men can occur in both acute and chronic form. Symptoms of testicular orchitis depend on the causes of the disease and the presence of concomitant pathologies. There are a number of common signs that allow one to suspect a disease:

• Swelling and soreness of the scrotum.
• Puffed tissue in the groin.
• Deterioration of general well-being.
• Febrile state.
• Presence of blood in seminal fluid.
• Pain in the scrotum, worsening during bowel movements or when urinating.
• Discomfort during ejaculation.

The appearance of the above symptomatology is the reason for immediate medical attention. The earlier the orchitis is diagnosed, the higher the chances of avoiding its complications.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]

Temperature with orchitis

The increase in the body's overall temperature in the case of male genitourinary organs, indicates pathological processes in the body. With orchitis, a local increase in temperature of the testicles is observed in combination with reddening of the skin of the scrotum. These symptoms develop due to the expansion of small vessels, excessive blood flow to the affected organs and the accumulation of biologically active substances.

The temperature acts as a protective reaction of the body and from the first days of illness rises to subfebrile values. On the 4th-5th day, it can rise to 40 ° C or more. A painful condition is accompanied by symptoms of general intoxication: increased weakness, chills, deterioration in overall health, headaches. If pathology is complicated by purulent processes, then this can lead to testicular atrophy.

Left-sided orchitis

Most often, the orchitis has a one-sided character, hitting the left or right testicle. Left-sided inflammation can be a complication of the transferred infectious diseases, injuries, allergic reactions and a number of other factors.

After the infection, antibodies are produced in the body that are sensitive to pathogenic microorganisms, that is, sensitization takes place. Because of this, the immune system begins to attack the testicular tissues. A painful condition occurs with such a symptom complex:

• Increase in overall and local body temperature.
• Acute pain in the groin, perineum and lower back.
• Edema of the testicle.
• Hyperemia of the scrotum.

In addition to the above symptoms, left-side orchitis may be accompanied by dyspeptic disorders and severe headaches.

Treatment depends on the factors that triggered the inflammation. Most often, patients are prescribed a course of antibiotics, pain medications, moderate physical activity and wearing special tight underwear. Without timely medical care, there is a risk of complications: inflammation of the epididymis, atrophy of the gonads, irreversible infertility.

Orchitis on the right

Inflammation of the right testicle can occur in both acute and chronic form. Most often, the orchitis on the right is a complication of an infectious disease - parotitis. The painful condition is manifested by such symptoms:

• Expressed pain in the testicle, radiating to the groin, leg and lower back.
• Discomfort increases during movement.
• Enlarged scrotum.
• Hyperemia of the scrotum.
• Local inflammation and fever.
• Chills and febrile condition.

If you let the above symptomatology on its own, it will lead to the transition of the disease into a chronic form.

Treatment depends on the severity of the disease state. As a rule, patients are prescribed antibacterial and symptomatic therapy. After removal of the inflammation, thermal physiotherapy is prescribed for the scrotum area. If the disease takes a chronic form or is complicated by an abscess, surgical intervention may be required to drain the organ.

Bilateral orchitis

According to medical statistics, the development of bilateral inflammation of the testicle is much less common than one-sided lesions. The main causes of orchitis include:

• Injuries and mechanical effects.
• Inflammatory processes in the body.
• Infectious diseases.
• Subcooling.
• Stagnant processes.

The main feature of this form of the disease is that it has a high risk of developing infertility. The impossibility of conception is associated with the proliferation of connective tissue in the appendages of the testicles and the narrowing of their lumen, which makes it impossible for sperm to pass.

Bilateral inflammation requires careful diagnosis with mandatory differentiation with similar pathologies. Treatment consists of a course of antibiotics, vitamin therapy, immunostimulants and physiotherapy. A favorable prognosis depends on timely diagnosis and properly prescribed treatment.

[10], [11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16]

Acute orchitis

As a rule, the acute form of the defeat of the male genitourinary organs develops again. Infection penetrates into the testicle tissues by a hematogenous way, that is, with blood flow. This type of orchitis often acts as a complication of mumps, brucellosis, pneumonia, rheumatism, scarlet fever and a number of other diseases.

Infection is possible, and by contact, when the infection passes to the testicle from its epididymis. In this case, diagnose orchoepididymitis. Disease-causing microorganisms can penetrate into the testicles through the vas deferens from the prostate gland, seminal vesicles or the posterior urethra. If the disease is caused by trauma, then this indicates a violation of blood circulation in the area of the organ.

Symptoms of acute inflammation:

• Body temperature is 38-39 ° C.
• Intense pain in the testicle, giving off in the groin, back and bottom of the abdomen.
• Skin of the scrotum, edematic, hyperemic.
• General weakness.
• Headaches and dizziness.
• Nausea.
• Febrile state.

The appearance of painful sensations is associated with the stretching of the organ's white shell, which contains a variety of nerve endings. Without treatment, the symptoms listed above abate after 10-14 days. But at the same time there are high risks of the transition of the disease to a chronic form and the development of infertility.

[17], [18], [19], [20], [21]

Chronic orchitis

In the absence of treatment, the acute form of orchitis becomes chronic, which may be primary and secondary. Primary is formed due to infectious diseases of the body or trauma, and the secondary acts as a complication acute.

Symptoms of chronic inflammation:

• The pain in the testicle has a fickle, aching character, but is strengthened after prolonged walking and physical exertion.
• The egg is enlarged and compacted.
• Subfebrile body temperature.
• Violation of the secretory function of the testicle.

In chronic lesions, testicular tissues become denser, which leads to organ atrophy. Against this background, fibrosis and complete disappearance of the parenchyma develops. If the pathology has a two-sided nature, the violation of spermatogenesis leads to irreversible infertility.

Diagnosis is not difficult. The doctor collects an anamnesis, conducts a visual examination and palpation of the organ. When probing, an isolated testicular enlargement and soreness is determined. The disease is differentiated with tumor lesions and tuberculosis.

Treatment consists of a course of antibacterial drugs, painkillers and physiotherapy. If conservative methods are not effective, or if fistulas are formed on the background of orchitis, hemicastration is indicated.

[22], [23], [24]

Types of orchitis

Inflammation of the testicle is the response of the body to the action of pathogens and foreign agents. Traumatization, that is, damage to the tissues of the scrotum, also very often leads to the development of an inflammatory reaction.

Types of inflammation and the nature of the pathological process depends on the general state of the body. To date, there are such types of orchitis:

• Serous - develops as a result of mechanical or chemical effects, injuries, frostbite.
• Fibrous - occurs when there is exudate, which is formed due to an acute inflammatory reaction and contains a large amount of fibrinogen. It leads to replacement of the parenchyma of the testicles with fibrous tissue, which entails a number of other diseases and complications.
• Purulent - in inflammatory exudate contains a large number of neutrophils, which in the event of decay form purulent bodies. Pus is a dull, thick liquid of yellow-green color. Purulent orchitis very often ends with an abscess.
• Catarrhal - inflammation occurs with a strong swelling of damaged tissues and the release of a large amount of exudate. Without timely treatment takes a purulent form.
• Mixed - is a complex of all kinds of inflammatory reactions. Painful symptoms correspond to several pathological processes simultaneously. This species can develop against the background of infection, allergic reactions, trauma.

In addition to the above classification, the disease is divided depending on the localization of the lesion: left-sided, right-sided or bilateral-orchitis. Also, inflammation can occur in acute, subacute or chronic form.

Purulent orchitis

Infectious-inflammatory lesion of the testicle with acute course, marked by clinical symptoms and abscessing is a purulent orchitis. The disease develops due to the infection of tissues with pathogenic microorganisms.

The main types of infection are:

1. Specific - pathogenic microorganisms (chlamydia, mycoplasma, trichomonads, etc.) affect only the genitourinary system. Inflammation develops when bacteria spread from the external genital organs or the mucous membrane of the urethra.
2. Nonspecific - not related to the structures of the urogenital tract, develops in other organs and systems. Purulent processes can be triggered by streptococci, proteus, staphylococci, E. Coli or mumps virus.

Very often purulent orchitis is complicated by an abscess and causes such symptoms:

• The scrotum is enlarged.
• Local edema and hyperemia.
• Increasing the temperature to febrile values of 39-40 ° C.
• Intense painful sensations.
• Symptoms of general intoxication.
• Violation of the functions of the affected organ.

With an abscess, the focus of inflammation is limited to a capsule that contains purulent exudate and is located in the tissues of the scrotum or testicle. If the abscess breaks, then there are purulent-bloody discharge with an unpleasant putrefactive odor.

Treatment of the purulent form of orchitis is aimed at eliminating the cause of the disease. To combat pathogens, antibiotics (penicillins, cephalosporins, tetracyclines, macrolides) are used. If necessary, antiviral and immunomodulating drugs are used.

Particular attention is paid to symptomatic therapy. Pain prescribed antipyretic and antipyretic drugs. To reduce the inflammatory reaction, compresses with a warm solution of antiseptic and treatment of the testes with ointments are shown. An operation is performed to treat the abscess. The doctor opens and drains the purulent focus. In particularly severe cases, hemicastration is shown, that is, removal of the affected organ.

Viral orchitis

The main cause of the development of the viral form of testicular inflammation is the mumps virus. Medical statistics indicate that in patients of adult age, in 27% of cases parotitis is complicated by acute orchitis and in 20% of cases leads to male infertility. In this case, adults are more likely to have bilateral lesions, while in children it is one-sided.

The main gateway for penetration of the infection is the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract. The virus penetrates into the salivary glands and is spread by the hematogenous way throughout the body. Pathogenic microorganisms find favorable conditions for their reproduction in the glandular organs, which include the testicles.

Symptoms of viral orchitis usually develop for 5-7 days from the onset of the viral disease and are manifested by such signs:

• Feverish state with elevated body temperature up to 39-40 ° C.
• Sharp pains in the scrotum, giving in the lower back, groin, lower abdomen.
• The testicle is enlarged in size and hyperemic.
• Headaches, nausea.
• General intoxication of the body.
• Painful sensations during urination.

Laboratory and instrumental methods are used to diagnose viral damage. With the help of analyzes, the type of pathogen and effective antibacterial drugs are determined. Ultrasound diagnosis reveals damage to all structures of the genitourinary system, which can be involved in the pathological process.

Treatment in most cases is conservative. Patients are prescribed a course of antibacterial therapy, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. With acute painful sensations, a novocaine blockade of the spermatic cord is possible. If the pathological process is complicated by a purulent infection and the development of an abscess, then a surgical procedure is performed to drain the purulent formation.