Re‐presentations and recurrent events following initial management of the acute paediatric scrotum: a 5‐year review

BACKGROUND: Previous reviews report relatively low rates of post-operative complications for acute scrotal exploration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the re-presentation to hospital in boys with previous acute scrotal pathology, reviewing contralateral symptoms, post-operative complications, testicular torsion following fixation and failure of conservative management of testicular appendage (TA) torsion. METHODS: All boys under 16 years presenting to our unit with an acute scrotum from January 2008 to December 2012 (5-year period) were identified. A retrospective review of clinical records was performed. RESULTS: A total of 683 boys presented over this 5-year period, with an overall re-presentation rate of 10%. Seventeen (25%) re-presentations were metachronous. Post-operative complication rate was 2.2%. Testicular torsion rate following orchiopexy was 0.3% (1/292). Thirty-three percent of those managed conservatively for TA torsion returned with ongoing pain; 80% underwent scrotal exploration on return. Eight boys returned following excision of a torted TA with contralateral torted TA confirmed, accounting for 2.6% (8/308) of boys with a torted TA at first presentation. This gives a number-needed-to-treat of 39 for bilateral scrotal exploration and prophylactic excision of contralateral non-torted TA, to prevent one boy from returning to hospital with a metachronous presentation. CONCLUSION: Further prolonged follow-up is needed to adequately assess recurrence rates of testicular torsion following orchiopexy to validate routine orchiopexy. Post-operative complication rates equal that of the return rate for a contralateral torted TA; this needs to be considered in proceeding to bilateral scrotal exploration on finding a torted TA at initial presentation.