Doctor's Notes on Inflammation of the Testicle (Orchitis)
Inflammation of the testicle (also termed orchitis) is an inflammatory condition of one or both testicles in males, usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Signs and symptoms may range from mild to severe in one or both testicles and may have a rapid or gradual onset of pain and swelling in one or both testicles.
Other signs and symptoms are
- testicular redness,
- tenderness,
- fever and chills,
- nausea,
- fatigue,
- headaches,
- body aches, and
- pain with urination.
It most commonly occurs in young boys as a result of viral infection (usually the mumps virus) although it may occur in some adult males. The mumps virus causes most cases of orchitis, but other viruses such as varicella, coxsackievirus, echo virus, and cytomegalovirus also can cause the disease. Less commonly, bacteria cause the disease. The bacteria can come from a prostate gland infection, urinary tract infection, or from a sexually transmitted disease. If the bacteria cause inflammation of the testicle and the epididymis, the condition is often called epididymo-orchitis. In addition, there are rare reports of mumps orchitis occurring after immunization with the MMR vaccine.
What Are the Treatments of Orchitis?
Orchitis is usually due to viral causes, so treatment is supportive care and such care includes
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,
- bed rest,
- scrotal elevation, and
- cold packs/warm packs to help reduce pain.
However, bacteria may also cause orchitis, and treatment includes antibiotics that cover for possible sexually transmitted disease-causing pathogens. The recommended antibiotics include ceftriaxone plus doxycycline or azithromycin. People who suspect they may have orchitis should see a medical care provider to rule out other serious problems like epididymo-orchitis.
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Gonorrhea
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Mumps
Mumps is a disease, usually of children, caused by a virus. The hallmark symptoms of mumps is swelling of the salivary glands. Symptoms and signs include: fever, headache, gland swelling, testicular pain, abdominal pain, seizure, difficulty swallowing, and orchitis (testicle inflammation). Mumps treatment focuses on relieving symptoms. -
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
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Staph Infection (Staphylococcus Infection)
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Syphilis
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Testicle Infection (Epididymitis)
Epididymitis is inflammation or infection of the epididymis that is usually caused by a bacterial infection. Two main groups of organisms are responsible for most cases of epididymitis; STD organisms and coliforms. Symptoms of epididymitis include abdominal pain, scrotal pain, scrotal swelling, painful urination, blood in the urine, urethral discharge, fever, chills, and nausea. Treatment is with antibiotics. -
Testicular Pain (Right, Left Side, and Back Pain)
If you are a male, we don't need to describe what "testicular swelling, discomfort, or pain" feels like to you. And hopefully those around you can sympathetically understand the pain you're in. Medically speaking, testicular or scrotum pain is defined as a discomfort or pain in the testicles or scrotum. The pain can range from mild - to severe and serious as in testicular torsion - which is a surgical emergency.Causes of the pain range from common to less common; examples include trauma, epididymitis (testicle infection), kidney stones, testicular torsion (a surgical emergency), STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), enlarged prostate (BPH), inguinal hernia, orchitis (an inflammatory condition in one or both testicles caused by infections), cancer, kidney stones, abscesses, gangrene infections, vasculitis of the wall of the scrotum (henoch-schonlein purpura, HSP), testicular tumor with infection or hemorrhage, and varicocele. A doctor or other health-care professional can help diagnose the cause of your pain by performing a physical exam and ordering laboratory tests. Treatment of testicular or scrotal pain depends on the cause. In some cases, for example in kidney stones, the pain is resolved once the stones are removed. The prognosis depends upon the cause.
REFERENCE:
Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.