Epididymoorchitis due to brucellosis in central Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract

Brucellosis may involve many organs and tissues. Epididymoorchitis is a focal genitourinary complication of human brucellosis. In this study, we describe our experience with the diagnosis, treatment, and final outcomes of 17 patients with epididymoorchitis out of 186 male patients with brucellosis between March 1999 and December 2003. The rate of epididymoorchitis due to brucellosis was 9.1%. All subjects complained about swollen, painful testicles. The duration of their complaint varied between 1 week and 2 months. Both testis and epididymis were involved in 15 patients and 2 had bilateral involvement. The patients were treated with medical treatment and a complete resolution was achieved in all of them. Patients with Brucella infection occasionally manifest genitourinary complications. Clinicians, especially those serving in endemic areas or serving patients coming from endemic areas, should consider the likelihood of brucellosis as a cause of epididymoorchitis. Copyright (c) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.