The acute scrotum in childhood and adolescence.

BACKGROUND: The acute scrotum in childhood or adolescence is a medical emergency. Inadequate evaluation and delays in diagnosis and treatment can result in irreversible harm, up to and including loss of a testis. Various diseases can produce this clinical picture. The testis is ischemic in only about 20% of cases.

METHODS: This review is based on a selective literature search, the existing clinical guideline, and the authors' experience.

RESULTS: The clinical approach to the acute scrotum must begin with a standardized, rapidly performed diagnostic evaluation. Dopper ultrasonography currently plays a central role. Its main use is to demonstrate the central arterial blood supply and venous drainage of the testis. The resistance index of the testicular vessels should also be determined.

CONCLUSION: Physical examination and properly performed Doppler ultrasonography enable adequate evaluation of the acute scrotum in childhood and adolescence. In the rare cases of diagnostic uncertainty, immediate surgical exposure of the testis remains the treatment of choice.