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Original poster

DS10 pain in one testicle

25 replies

Myusernameismud · 09/02/2019 12:20

Don't panic, we've spoken to a GP who is fairly confident it's not testicular torsion. He's not in extreme pain, it came on gradually and not suddenly, his testicles look normal and she talked me through how to check the reflex, can't remember the name but you gently pinch part of the thigh and they shrink up a bit. Reflex is normal.

So she's given us an out of hours appt for 4pm. OOH surgery is in the local hospital and she said to bring a bag 'just in case' but I'm struggling to think what it could be that might require a stay. Obviously she's not overly concerned (nor am I tbh, he's behaving mostly normally and the pain comes and goes) or she would have directed us to A&E. But I'm trying to decide whether to call my mum to pick up DD in case I have to stay with DS in hosp. Mum is 2 hours drive away so I need to decide fairly soon.

Anyone else's DS had something similar? He's not injured himself in any way, it literally just started hurting him around dinner time last night. No temp, otherwise well and still his usual chatty self, it's just that occasional 'ooh mum it's hurting again' for a few mins at a time. He says he can't touch the left one because it's painful to touch, and has a bit of a belly ache but quite low down, under the waistband of his pants. I'm from a family of all girls, so testicle issues aren't something my mum or sisters have come across funnily enough Grin
DH is next to useless, and just said 'no not really normal unless someones kicked him in the nuts'.

OP posts:
Original poster
Myusernameismud · 09/02/2019 13:18

Anyone?! Grin

OP posts:
MrsPear · 09/02/2019 13:21

The only problems my boys have had involved a hernia and landing against the sofa arm and a pole at the playground. The first involved an op and the others a check by a doctor and ice. I hope it gets sorted and be grateful that he didn’t become shy and not say something. Hopefully someone can be more helpful.

Lisette1940 · 09/02/2019 13:22

I thought torsion so your first sentence was a relief. I'm not medical OP so I can't think what else it might be but I have a 9 year old D's so I understand your concern. Flowers

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Toddlerteaplease · 09/02/2019 13:43

My immediate thought is a torsion. Our surgeons don't take chances. I wouldn't be surprised if he get admitted and taken to theatre for a look. Better safe than sorry.

TheOrdinaryPoster · 09/02/2019 13:46

Ooooo I'll never forget being at a disco in year 6 and one of the boys who was dancing suddenly hitting the deck and screaming in agony, he had a testicular torsion.

Could be the start of one? Do they give warning signs?

Original poster
Myusernameismud · 09/02/2019 14:00

Funny you should say that, I did just read something on patient UK which says sometimes they can give warning signs before full blown torsion. Apparently they would operate to stitch the testicles to his scrotum so they can't twist, so that's maybe why she advised bringing a bag in.
He doesn't seem particularly unwell, so I'm assuming it's nothing like an infection of any kind.

I called mum and she's on her way anyway, just in case.

OP posts:
Foonababoonalagoona · 09/02/2019 14:06

My son had this really recently the doc checked and he could see the testicle was a little inflamed and could happen after having a virus. He prescribed him some anti inflammatories told him to lay off P.E for a week or two. He had no swelling or obvious signs anything was wrong and he was back to normal in about 2 weeks

MaMisled · 09/02/2019 14:17

Probably an infection Hope he's better soon op

catzrulz · 09/02/2019 14:31

My DSS, 23, had similar recently, turned out it was a really bad UTI.
Best to be prepared though if the Doc has said pack a bag.

SmellTheGlove · 09/02/2019 19:55

There is another type of torsion that boys can get, it's a torsion of the appendix testes ( or words to that effect!). Basically there is a small piece of tissue in the testicle which can become twisted and cause pain.it is sometimes hard to distinguish from a proper torsion, sometimes you can see a small blue dot under the skin. My son (also 10) spent most of a night at A&E being prodded and then prepped for surgery before the on call consultant arrived and found the 'blue dot,'. So no surgery needed. Hurt for a couple of days and treated with painkillers.

Isadora2007 · 09/02/2019 19:57

Hope you’ve got some answers at the OOH appt. my son had a cyst removed from his testicle age 13 after presenting in a similar manner to your son. It wasn’t emergency surgery but was done the same day so fairly urgent.

CherryPavlova · 09/02/2019 20:15

Can I suggest you go to an emergency department not OOH and get a urologist to diagnose. Testicular torsion is a medical emergency and (without wishing to panic you) can result in the need to remove the testes if left untreated. Radiological tests are not recommended and surgical exploration is the only real way to diagnose.

There are other possibilities but a torsion needs ruling out quickly.

nocoolnamesleft · 09/02/2019 20:23

The GP can confidently exclude torsion over the phone? Wow. Most surgeons I know seem only to exclude it after at least examining and an USS, and often exploration in theatre. And time is testicles.

CherryPavlova · 09/02/2019 20:41

A lad in Kent, aged 15, was sent home with antibiotics and painkillers in 2018. Had he been seen, in accordance with NICE guidelines, by a urologist he wouldn’t have lost a testicle.

www.england.nhs.uk/mids-east/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2018/03/torsion-commissioning-guide.pdf

It might be the appendix testis (or hydatid of Morgagni) but a full torsion needs excluding rapidly.

Original poster
Myusernameismud · 09/02/2019 21:14

Well after the longest wait ever, despite having an appt, the OOH Dr had a quick look and confirmed no torsion. He suspects viral orchitis, recommended anti inflammatories and sent us home.

Panic over. Not that I was panicking to be fair. DS would have been in extreme pain with a torsion, and he just wasn't. His symptoms didn't fit, it came on very gradually and was intermittent, no obvious changes to his testicles and the reflex was good. I was entirely happy with the GPs opinion over the phone, had I been genuinely concerned I would have taken him to a&e in the first place.

OP posts:
Lisette1940 · 09/02/2019 22:19

Glad he's okay OP. Hopefully the pain will just go.

Macaroonmayhem · 09/02/2019 22:30

Glad he’s ok. When DS had a torsion (I think it turned out to be the appendix version that SmelltheGlove refers to), the affected testicle was swollen to ginormous proportions and he was wincing when he moved, it was really very very painful. Thankfully I’d read about it on here and knew I had to get him checked out asap - went to our local A&E and 5 hrs later he was being operated on in the children’s hospital an hour away. I knew my Mumsnet habit would come in useful eventually!

Original poster
Myusernameismud · 12/02/2019 14:31

Well after I was so satisfied with the OOH gp diagnosis, DS woke up in agony again this morning, with a very swollen and red left testicle. We went straight to a&e this time and saw a urologist within 15 mins of walking in.

Luckily it's not a testicular torsion, only a torsion of testicular appendage so no surgery or further management needed, just painkillers and supportive pants, and no PE for the rest of term. Apparently it could persist for a few weeks, but beyond that they'll look to remove if it's still causing problems.

OP posts:
CherryPavlova · 12/02/2019 18:40

It’s very painful poor boy.

OOH GP should have sent you to accident and emergency straight away, in accordance with the national guidance.

Glad he’s sorted but would want all parents of boys to insist on a review by a urologist as a matter of urgency. If your post persuades parents to a visit to a hospital rather than OOH it’s done some good.

Original poster
Myusernameismud · 12/02/2019 19:42

Thing is, it was 111 that advised me to go to OOH! I called and they put me through to a clinical advisor, who said a GP from local OOH team would call back. She's the one who made the OOH appt. What's so frustrating is that OOH is next door to the A&E we visited today Angry It would have been very simple to just send us next door for a check.
I was amazed how quickly they saw him though, the waiting room was full too.

OP posts:
Macaroonmayhem · 12/02/2019 20:19

Oh poor thing! Hope that’s it sorted this time. DS wasn’t allowed to do gym for about a month and told everyone he’d had on op ‘on his leg’ as he didn’t want anyone to know exactly what had happened!

CherryPavlova · 12/02/2019 20:23

You can only really do as advised but they were wrong. Just glad it’s not a full torsion. He’d be seen very quickly because the risk is so high if it is a testicular torsion.

Original poster
Myusernameismud · 12/02/2019 21:39

macaroon the urologist said DS shouldn't do PE for a couple of weeks, which was a small comfort after the amount of pain he was in while the Dr was examining him Sad
DS really, really hates PE...

OP posts:
Glogirl · 12/02/2019 22:13

Thanks for your post, I have 2 boys and will be more alert.

Sounds awful, hope your son improves soon. Glad it's the "Good kind".

Original poster
Myusernameismud · 12/02/2019 22:45

Hope you never need it, but you're welcome! I really hadn't a clue!

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