Effect and necessity of early surgical management of neonatal testicular torsion: an analysis of 11 cases / 中华围产医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the clinical features of neonatal testicular torsion and to evaluate the effect and necessity of early intervention.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 11 neonates admitted to the Second Hospital of Shandong University with neonatal testicular torsion from June 2017 to June 2022. Clinical data of these cases including clinical manifestations, ultrasonography findings, surgical management and outcomes were reviewed and analyzed with descriptive statistical methods.Results:The median age of the 11 patients on admission was 2.6 d (1-5 d). The median time from finding abnormal scrotum to admission was 12 h (1-120 h). Various degrees of scrotal swelling or scleroma were found in the patients. Among them, seven patients presented with acute inflammatory signs of cyano sis or skin redness, and testis-like tissue induration could be touched. Ultrasound scan showed abnormal blood flow in the affected testicle in all cases. Emergency scrotal exploration under general anesthesia was performed successfully in all cases and ten of them underwent orchiectomy of the affected testicle plus contralateral orchiopexy. The rest one who was admitted within 1 h after birth only underwent orchiopexy of the affected testicle as the parents refused contralateral testicular exploration. During the operation, 12 twisted testis were observed, including seven with extravaginal torsion, three with intravaginal torsion and two adhering to the surrounding tissue without normal testicular tissue or distinguishable torsion direction or degree. In this study, ten patients had unilateral testicular torsion, which affected the left side in seven cases and the right side in three cases, and one had bilateral testicular torsion, which was diagnosed as left testicle torsion before surgery. During scrotal exploration, the left testicle of this bilateral case was resected due to necrosis, while the right testicle twisted about 180 degrees with good blood flow and was subjected to orchidopexy after reduction. In one case, the unaffected testicle was unfixed and dysplastic during contralateral exploration, which was also subjected to orchidopexy. In the 12 testis with torsion, one testicle of the patient admitted within 1 h after birth and the right testicle of the bilateral case were preserved with a salvage rate of 2/12. Pathological examination showed necrosis in the ten excised testis, and fibrosis and calcification foci in two of them. None of the patients had any perioperative complications and the scrotal incision healed well in all neonates. The patients were followed up for 6-12 months with regular ultrasound. The two preserved testis and the contralateral testis subjected to orchidopexy were located in the scrotum with good blood supply, and no torsion, atrophy or other abnormalities occurred.Conclusions:Neonatal testicular torsion is rarely seen in clinical practice and has no specific manifestations. It has a high excision rate due to testicular necrosis. Early diagnosis and bilateral scrotal exploration are crucial to the prognosis and the keys to save the affected testis and avoid anorchidism.