title: Suppurative appendicitis presenting as acute scrotum confounded by a testicular appendage.
abstract: Patients presenting with testicular pain and swelling mandate an urgent urology review and scrotal exploration to prevent testicle loss due to torsion. Other pathology masquerading as torsion is extremely rare but can occur. We present one such case. A 14-year-old male presented with a 1-day history of right testicular swelling and tenderness. He was apyrexial and denied any other symptoms. Blood tests demonstrated raised inflammatory markers. He had lower left-sided abdominal tenderness with a swollen, erythematous right hemiscrotum. During an urgent scrotal exploration for testicular torsion, a purulent hydrocele with a patent process vaginalis was noted, but no torsion. Post-operative abdominal pain mandated a general surgical review and subsequent appendicectomy. The patient made a full recovery. Acute suppurative appendicitis presenting as a urological emergency is extremely rare. To make a correct diagnosis and prevent multiple surgeries, a joint urological and general surgical assessment with a high index of suspicion is required.
authors.affiliation: City Hospital Sunderland, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR4 7TP, UK syed.shumon@hotmail.co.uk.
authors.forename: Syed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shumon
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, City Hospital Sunderland, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR4 7TP, UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, City Hospital Sunderland, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR4 7TP, UK.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, City Hospital Sunderland, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR4 7TP, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Small