Successful Outcome of Manual Testicular Detorsion Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound Guidance

Abstract

Abstract Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency. It obstructs the blood supply to the testes, leading to testicular ischemia and necrosis. It presents with a sudden onset of severe unilateral testicular pain associated with nausea/vomiting, swollen scrotum, and high-riding testicles with an absent cremasteric reflex and negative Prehn sign. Prompt diagnosis of ischemic testicles using ultrasonography is challenging for emergency physicians. Color Doppler ultrasound may reveal a relative decrease or absence of blood flow in the affected testicle. The most specific ultrasonographic feature was the whirlpool sign of the spermatic cord. Manual detorsion should be performed as soon as possible before surgical intervention. However, manual detorsion may fail because of patient discomfort, incomplete torsion, and rotation of the testicle in a less common direction. We report a case demonstrating ultrasound-guided detorsion in a 14-year-old boy with right testicular torsion. The present case highlights the importance of incorporating ultrasound guidance into manual detorsion, which can improve the success rate of the procedure.