Investigation of blood parameters as predictors in diagnosing acute scrotum

Acute Scrotum (AS) is defined as pain associated with swelling and redness of the scrotum. This study investigates the hemogram and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) values obtained from patients diagnosed with AS, based on the hypothesis that blood parameters can be used as biomarkers in the diagnosis of Testicular Torsion (TT). The aim was to evaluate the predictability of these parameters in diagnosing AS in both pediatric and adult age groups.

Demographic data and blood parameters including Hemoglobin (Hb), Platelet (PLT), CRP, and White Blood Cell (WBC) levels of patients who presented to our Emergency Department with the diagnosis of AS (TT, epididymitis, varicocele) and received medical and surgical treatment were analyzed. The importance of these parameters in diagnosis was assessed.

A total of 26 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the cases was 15.8±3.6 years. 20 of the patients (76.9%) were in the pediatric age group, while 6 (23.1%) were in the adult age group. 93.1% (27) of the cases were unilateral, while 6.9% (2) had bilateral acute scrotum symptoms. The highest incidence of cases occurred in spring with 9 cases (31%), followed by winter and summer with 7 cases each (24.1%), and autumn with 6 cases (20.7%). Significant differences in age, platelet, and hemoglobin levels were observed between the pediatric and adult age groups.

In conclusion, this study highlights significant age-related differences in the diagnosis and treatment of AS. The higher requirement for surgical intervention in pediatric patients further emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and timely intervention. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to validate these findings and better understand the etiological differences. Additionally, a more specific analysis of blood parameters in subgroups (such as epididymitis, orchitis, TT) under the term "acute scrotum" may contribute to the literature.