To systematically review existing evidence to clarify the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic and therapeutic key points, and prognosis of testicular torsion secondary to inguinal cryptorchidism.
Approach:
Method: This narrative review synthesizes and summarizes recent clinical studies, case reports, and related discussions on testicular torsion secondary to inguinal cryptorchidism.
Key Findings:
Children with inguinal cryptorchidism have approximately a 10-fold higher risk of testicular torsion compared to those with normally descended testes.
Typical clinical manifestations include an acute painful inguinal mass and an empty ipsilateral scrotum, often misdiagnosed as incarcerated indirect inguinal hernia.
Color Doppler ultrasound is the preferred first-line imaging modality.
Urgent surgical exploration is indicated in cases with high clinical suspicion, with intraoperative procedures including testicular repositioning and fixation or orchiectomy based on testicular viability.
Interpretation:
The core principles for diagnosing and treating testicular torsion secondary to inguinal cryptorchidism are early recognition, imaging confirmation, emergent surgery, and long-term follow-up.
Limitations:
Insufficient population-based incidence data specifically for testicular torsion secondary to inguinal cryptorchidism.
Lack of large-scale multicenter studies focusing on Asian and Chinese populations.
Conclusion:
Enhanced routine screening, optimized emergency assessment protocols, and standardized long-term follow-up can effectively improve the prognosis of affected children.
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