Abstract

There has been an increasing number of reported cases of testicular infarction secondary to epididymo-orchitis in recent years. However, the occurrence of this in those with spinal cord injuries has rarely been reported. This population of patients have a higher prevalence of epididymo-orchitis and due to altered or absent nociceptive perception, evaluation of their progression to testicular infarction can be difficult, leading to unnecessary delay for surgical management. We present a case of epididymo-orchitis in a patient with C5/6 complete spinal cord injury whose clinical course was complicated by testicular infarction requiring left orchidectomy. This case highlights those with spinal cord injuries may benefit from increased vigilance, more frequent imaging surveillance and consideration of adjunct imaging modalities to monitor the progression of epididymo-orchitis and facilitate earlier diagnosis of complications.

Key words: Epididymo-orchitis; testicular infarction; spinal cord injury; ultrasound; imaging