Is There Bacterial Growth Inside the Tunica Vaginalis Cavity in Patients With Unsalvageable Testicular Torsion

ABSTRACT Objective To describe if there is bacterial growth on the tunica vaginalis cavity on patients with testicular torsion submitted to orchiectomy. Material and methods We prospectively analyzed 176 patients with testicular torsion submitted to orchiectomy at our facility between January 2018 and January 2020. Sixty-five were included in this study and samples of the tunica vaginalis cavity were sent to the laboratory for gram staining, culturing and antibiotic sensitivity testing. Wound healing was also evaluated at a minimum of three checkpoints (days 15, 45 and 90 after surgery). Student's t-test was used for comparison of quantitative data between negative and positive cultures (p Results Of the sixty-five patients included in the study, with median age of 18 years (IQR 15-21), culture was negative in 58 cases (89.2%). Median time lapse from symptoms to surgery was 6.90 days (IQR 3.92 – 10.73). Right testicular torsion was almost twice as common as on the left side (63.07% vs. 36.93%). Hydrocele was present in 47 patients (72.3%) and all wounds were healed in 84.60%, 96.90% and 100% of the cases on the 15th, 45th and 90th days after surgery, respectively. Conclusion In the great majority of patients with testicular torsion treated with orchiectomy in our study, we did not observe bacterial growth in the tunica vaginalis cavity, and all patients’ wounds were completely healed within 90 days after surgery.