Orchitis in children

The main cause of orchitis in childhood is trauma and epidemic parotitis. According to medical statistics, in 20% of cases parotitis is complicated by inflammation of the testicles and in 8% of cases bilateral inflammation develops. The main age of boys exposed to the disease is 10-12 years. 

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]

Causes of the orchitis in a child

The main cause of the disease is infectious tissue damage to the body or their traumatization. Infection occurs by hematogenous way, usually due to causative agent of parotitis, chicken pox or scarlet fever.

Another possible cause of orchitis in adolescents is sexual infections: ureaplasma, trichomonads, chlamydia. The painful condition develops after the surgical interventions, congenital anomalies and systemic diseases. Often the inflammation is combined with the damage of the urethra and the prostate gland.

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Symptoms of the orchitis in a child

Symptoms of pathology make themselves felt 7-10 days after the appearance of the first signs of mumps:

• A sharp rise in body temperature to 39-40 ° C, which lasts for several days.
• Sharp pain in the scrotum.
• Deterioration of overall well-being: headaches, nausea, general weakness.
• Skin of the scrotum is edematic and hyperemic.
• Pain when urinating.

Orchitis in children can pass independently for 7-10 days. But if the inflammation has not subsided, and the temperature remains elevated, then this may indicate the attachment of a secondary infection. In this case, the pathological process will last until the parenchyma of the organ completely dies.

Orchitis in adolescents

Inflammation of the testis and its epididymis is more often diagnosed in men of adult age and adolescents 15-18 years. 

Signs of orchitis :

• Changes in the shape of the testicle, redness and swelling.
• Discomfort and pain in the scrotum, worse when walking.
• Pain in lower back and lower abdomen.
• General intoxication of the body.
• Increased body temperature.

The disease occurs in several stages. If you leave a painful symptomatology without medical assistance, then the pathology will pass into a chronic form. The danger of neglected inflammation is that orchitis is complicated by purulent processes and abscessing.

Diagnostics of the orchitis in a child

For diagnostics, the adolescent is assigned a set of laboratory and instrumental studies. It is mandatory to take a smear from the urethra to determine the pathogen and ultrasound to identify traumatic lesions, tumor neoplasms or anomalies in the structure of the organ. 

[11], [12], [13], [14]

Treatment of the orchitis in a child

From the early diagnosis of the disease depends the success of her treatment. For treatment, the patient is prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics, as well as immunomodulators, analgesics and antispasmodics. In the presence of abscesses, surgical treatment is performed. With purulent lesion, atrophy or gangrene of the testicle, orchiectomy is shown, that is, complete removal of the organ.

To relieve acute pain in the scrotum, cold is applied, and rectal suppositories can also be prescribed. During treatment, patients should follow a diet. At the stage of recovery, thermal physiotherapy procedures are prescribed. In especially severe cases, surgical treatment is performed with opening of the abscess and drainage of the wound.

Read also:

• How to treat orchitis at home?
• Medication and surgical treatment of orchitis