epididymo-orchitis
The definitions used in this glossary of terminology either have been provided by the authors of the articles, or have been extracted wholly or in part, or paraphrased from the following sources: The American Medical Association Encyclopedia of Medicine, Charles B. Clayman, MD, Medical Editor, Random House, New York, 1989; Biotechnology from A to Z, 2d Edition, William Bains, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; A Dictionary of Genetics, 6th Edition, Robert C. King and William D. Stansfield, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 29th and 30th Editions, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 2000, 2003; Genes VII, Benjamin Lewin, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2000; The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, Volumes I and II, Stacey L. Blachford, Ed., Thomson Learning, New York, New York, 2002; The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc., Springfield, Massachusetts, 1997; Molecular Biology of the Cell, 3rd Edition, Bruce Alberts, et al., Garland Publishing, 1994; The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, 1966; Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1991.
DEFINITION:
- epididymo-orchitis
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Acute inflammation of the testicle and its associated epididymis (the coiled tube that carries sperm away from it) characterized by severe pain and swelling at the back of the testicle and accompanied by swelling and redness of the scrotum in severe cases.
The inflammation is caused by infection. Often there is no obvious source of infection, but sometimes the cause is a bacterial infection spread from the urinary tract via the vas deferens (sperm duct). Rarely, epididymo-orchitis occurs through spread of a tuberculosis infection.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The symptoms of severe pain and swelling are similar to those of torsion of the testicle, in which the testicle cord becomes twisted and blocks its own blood supply. An exploratory operation may be necessary to make a firm diagnosis and save the testicle. In some cases testicular scans may be helpful.
Treatment is with antibiotics and rest. If there is an underlying urinary tract infection its cause is investigated. The tuberculous form of the disease usually responds to treatment given for tuberculosis elsewhere in the body. In all cases it may take several months for the testicle to return to its normal size. Sometimes normal size is never attained.
Used in 2 Term definitions
Used in 2 Term definitions