Increase in hospital admissions for torsion of testis

Data from Hospital Activity Analysis (HAA) for the Wessex Health Region show a 70% increase in hospital admissions for torsion of the testis between 1971 and 1982. The frequency of emergency admission leading to orchidopexy doubled, but there was no increase in the rate of emergency admission followed by orchidectomy. Detailed investigation of records from Southampton hospitals suggests that the trend cannot be explained by errors in the ascertainment of cases by HAA. The rise in admissions could result from a greater awareness of the diagnosis among general practitioners leading to more frequent referral of mild cases, but it seems more likely that it reflects a real increase in the incidence of the disorder.