Causes and Symptoms of Acute Scrotal Pain in Patients Presenting to Emergency Departments in Mazandaran, Iran 2011-2016

Background and purpose: Acute scrotum syndrome is one of the complaints in emergency departments which has several causes. This study was performed to determine the causes and symptoms of acute scrotal pain in patients attending emergency departments in Mazandaran province, Iran. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was done in all patients with acute scrotum syndrome in emergency departments affiliated to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 2011- 2016. Patients’ medical records (clinical and paraclinical information, and diagnostic and therapeutic procedures) were investigated. Data analysis was done applying Chi- square test and t-test. Results: The study included 205 patients with a mean age of 34.10±17.34. Patients were diagnosed with testicular torsion (n=60, 29.3%), epididymo-orchitis (n= 63, 30.7%), inguinal hernia (n= 69, 33.7%), varicocele (n=11, 5.4%), and testicular torsion (n=2, 2.1%). In testicular torsion, the pain was most sudden (23.9%) and the duration of symptoms onset and arrival at emergency department was 3.62±4.38 hours. The definitive diagnoses were consistent with ultrasound findings in 91.7% of the cases with testicular torsion, 96.8% of those with epididymis orchitis, 95.7% of patients with hernia, and in 54.5% of cases with varicocele. Conclusion: Younger age, duration of pain, sudden pain, and cremaster reflex are helpful in differentiating testicular torsion from other causes of acute scrotum syndrome. Ultrasonography of the testis should be immediately performed as the main diagnostic measure for acute scrotum syndrome.