Test yourself
Testicular torsion: follow the cord
5 questions. Pick an answer to see whether you are right and why. Your score appears at the end.
Question 1A 15-year-old has sudden severe testicular pain, vomiting and a high-riding testis. What is the next step?
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Answer b. This presentation makes torsion likely. Salvage falls with time, so urology review and exploration must not wait for imaging.
Question 2What is the whirlpool sign?
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Answer c. The twisted cord forms a round mass with vessels spiralling into it. It is highly specific for torsion, with a pooled specificity of 99%.
Question 3A boy with sudden testicular pain has normal colour flow in the testis. What do you conclude?
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Answer a. Partial or intermittent torsion preserves some flow, and a testis which has untwisted becomes hyperaemic. The clinical picture decides the referral.
Question 4Why start the scan on the painless side?
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Answer d. The normal side shows what normal flow looks like in this patient with these settings. Then scan the painful side with the same settings and compare.
Question 5Which findings support epididymo-orchitis?
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Answer a. Inflammation increases blood flow. A straight cord without a twist argues against torsion, but the history still matters.
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Four or five delegates per instructor, FAMUS-accredited faculty and long, supervised time on the probe.
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