Acute and Chronic Epididymitis

Epididymitis is a relatively common clinical condition presenting as acute or chronic forms. Acute epididymitis is the inflammation of epididymitis accompanied by pain and swelling, while chronic epididymitis may present only with pain. Etiological factors may be infectious or noninfectious, for example urinary obstruction, drug induced, or idiopathic. Bacterial ascent through the urogenital tract is the most common etiology in acute epididymitis, with Chlamydia trachomatis being isolated in all adult age groups. Diagnosis is generally based on patient history, symptoms, and clinical findings. Recent data indicate that sexually active patients with acute epididymitis should be screened for sexually-transmitted diseases, regardless of their age. Additional laboratory investigations and imaging may be required for differential diagnosis with other intrascrotal conditions, particularly with testicular torsion. Although no evidence-based recommendations can be given for the antimicrobial treatment of acute epididymitis, >85% of bacterial strains causing acute epididymitis are susceptible to fluoroquinoles and third-generation cephalosporins. Chronic epididymitis has not been investigated as thorough as acute epididymitis; however, the development and use of a symptom index is promising in terms of achieving a widely-accepted standardization of diagnosis and evaluation. A conservative approach may be beneficial; medical treatment employing antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents, pain medication, and others are also being utilized without any evidence-based data. Spermatic cord block with short-term and long-term acting agents as well as surgical treatment including epididymectomy microdenervation of the spermatic cord are other treatment alternatives in patients with chronic epididymitis. In this article, we provide an update on the definition, epidemiology, etiology, diagnostics, and therapy in terms of acute and chronic epididymitis.