PEDIATRIC TESTICULAR TORSION

Course overview

For a variety of reasons, the diagnosis and management of testicular torsion is particularly troublesome. Failure to diagnose and manage testicular torsion is among the most common causes of malpractice lawsuits in pediatrics. In fact, for adolescent males (aged 12-17 years), this is the third most common diagnosis involved in malpractice claims. This is a key risk area in emergency, urgent care, and pediatric medicine. When a pediatric patient with a complaint of scrotal or lower abdominal pain enters the healthcare system, he needs to be promptly evaluated for the possibility of testicular torsion. In this activity, we focus on errors in the diagnosis and management of testicular torsion in young patients, using cases where the condition was allegedly missed or treatment delayed. After completing this activity, practitioners should be able to: recognize both typical and atypical presentations of testicular torsion in pediatric patients; identify the difficulties in diagnosing testicular torsion by history and physical exam alone; and manage testicular torsion expeditiously to prevent necrosis of the testicle.