Epididymoorchitis natural history, complications and prognosis

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Dima Nimri, M.D. [2]

The prognosis of epididymoorchitis is usually excellent, with the majority of cases resolving within 30 days of initiation of medical therapy. However, some cases can progress to chronic epididymoorchitis. Other complications of epididymoorchitis include abscess formation, testicular infarction, sepsis and infertility.

If left untreated, acute epididymoorchitis may progress to chronic cases.^[1]

Some of the complications of an acute epididymoorchitis infection include:^[1]

• Progression of the infection to chronic epididymoorchitis
• Formation of a reactive hydrocele
• Abscess formation
• Infarction of the testicle
• Sepsis
• Infertility

The prognosis of epididymoorchitis is usually excellent. In young patients in whom epididymoorchitis is due to a sexually transmitted disease, acute epididymoorchitis usually resolves within 2 weeks of the initiation of medical therapy. In men older than the age of 40, 90% of cases of epididymitis resolve within 30 days of treatment.^[2]

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