Testicular Infection: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Prognosis, Diagnosis

Any disorder or a group of disorders which has testicular pain as its primary symptom is termed as a Testicular Infection. Some of the common disorders of the testicle which collectively form Testicular Infection are epididymitis, orchitis, testicular trauma, and testicular torsion. Epididymitis is a condition in which there is inflammation of the epididymis which is a part of the testicle. Orchitis is a pathological condition of the testicle in which there is inflammation of one or both testicles. Testicular torsion is a condition in which there is twisting of the spermatic cord. All of these conditions result in Testicular Infection and cause pain in the testicles. In majority of the cases Testicular Infection is treated with surgery, especially testicular torsion. Testicular Infection is mostly seen in young boys who are less than six years of age.

As stated above, testicular disorders that are associated with Testicular Infection are epididymitis, orchitis, testicular trauma, and testicular torsion.

Testicular Infection Caused Due to Epididymitis: This is a condition in which the epididymis gets inflamed. The epididymis is a structure which forms the first part of the duct that drains the testicle.

Testicular Infection Due to Orchitis: This is a condition in which there is inflammation of one or both testicles. Various bacterial or fungal infections may result in Orchitis and this is one of t he major cause of testicular pain in young teenagers.

Testicular Infection Caused Due to Trauma: Any sort of direct blow or injury to the testicle may result in Testicular Infection. This injury may be caused due to a sporting injury where the ball gets hit directly on the testicles or an assault where an individual gets kicked or hit by an object directly in the testicular area.

Testicular Infection Caused Due to Testicular Torsion: This is a condition in which there is twisting of the spermatic cord, artery and vein. This cuts off the blood supply to the testicle and surrounding structures in the scrotum. This is an emergent situation and needs to be corrected immediately or else there is a danger of the tissues around the testicles dying because of lack of blood supply.

Some of the Symptoms of Testicular Infection are:

• Sudden onset of pain in one or both testicles without any injury or trauma
• Swelling of the scrotum can be a symptom of testicular infection
• Tenderness to palpation of the testis
• Fever and Chills
• Discharge from penis can also be a symptom of testicular infection
• Testicular lump
• Blood in the semen
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fainting episodes
• Painful urination
• Painful ejaculation
• Groin pain.

A thorough physical examination is more than enough to diagnose Testicular Infection caused by testicular torsion, orchitis, and epididymitis. Radiological studies will be done to rule out other causes of testicular pain and other symptoms associated with it. Blood tests will be done to find out if bacteria or fungal infection is the cause of the symptoms and Testicular Infection.

For treating bacterial and fungal causes of Testicular Infection, antibiotics and antifungal medications may suffice for completely treating Testicular Infection. To control the pain and inflammation caused due to testicular infection, pain medications may be given. In case of testicular torsion as a cause of Testicular Infection then immediate surgery is required to correct the condition.

With a prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment, the prognosis of Testicular Infection is quite good and an individual can get back his testicular function in no time. In case if the infection is severe or in cases if the testicular torsion causing Testicular Infection is not corrected appropriately with surgery then it may result in testicular atrophy or even sometimes infertility due to Testicular Infection.