Parent & Patient Information System 06/09/2015 Page12 / 51 Testicular torsion also can occur after strenuous exercise, while someone is sleeping, or after an injury to the scrotum. Often, however, the cause isn't known. Symptoms If your son experiences sudden groin pain, call a doctor and get him to a hospital or doctor's office as soon as you can. Testicular torsion is considered a surgical emergency, meaning that when it happens, immediate surgery is needed to save the testicle. Because surgery may be necessary, it's important to not give a boy with testicular pain anything to eat or drink before seeking medical care. If your son has testicular torsion, he'll feel a sudden, possibly severe, pain in his scrotum and one of his testicles. The pain can get worse or subside a bit but generally won't go away completely. Other symptoms may include swelling, especially on one side of the scrotum, nausea and vomiting, and abdominal pain, respectively. Up on inspection one testicle appears to be higher than the other. Sometimes, the spermatic cord can become twisted and then untwist itself without treatment. This is called torsion and detorsion, and it can make testicular torsion more likely to occur in the future. If your son's spermatic cord untwists and the pain goes away, it might be easy to dismiss the episode, but you should still call a doctor. Surgery can be performed to secure the testicles and make testicular torsion unlikely to occur in the future. Diagnosis When you arrive at the hospital or doctor's office, a doctor will examine your son's scrotum, testicles, abdomen, and groin and might test his reflexes by rubbing or pinching the inside of his thigh. This normally causes the testicle to contract, which probably won't happen if he has a testicular torsion.
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