Early diagnosis of testicular torsion in rats by measuring plasma d-dimer levels: comparative study with epididymitis

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the differential diagnosis of testicular torsion and acute epididymo-orchitis by measuring the acute increase in plasma d-dimer levels in an experimental rat model. Methods Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, 1 – sham operated group (acute term; 4hours), 2 – early torsion group (acute term; 4hours), 3 – late torsion group (long-term; 72hours), 4 – control of epididymitis group (vehicle injected; 0.1ml physiologic saline injected into the left ductus deferens) (long term; 72hours), 5 – epididymitis group (0.1ml Escherichia coli injected into the left ductus deferens), (n=6 for each group). Results Serum d-dimer levels were significantly higher compared with the sham operated group with early torsion (p=0.002). This elevation remained mildly in the late torsion group compared with the control group (p Conclusions The present study demonstrated that testicular damage that occurs following testicular torsion shows a higher increase in d-dimer levels than epididymitis, suggesting that d-dimer level can be used as a diagnostic marker of testicular torsion.