To explore the characteristics of diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of intermittent testicular torsion (ITT) in children.

Retrospective review was conducted for the clinical data of 9 ITT cases from April 2014 to December 2019. The average age of all patients was 11.9 years (range 4.7-13.9 years). The involved side was left (n=4), right (n=4) and bilateral (n=1). The main symptoms included severe pain of rapid onset and rapid resolution associated with nausea and lower abdominal pain (n=1). The average number of painful episode was 2.4(1-5). There was a number of 1 painful episode in 4 emergency operative cases and more than 1 in 4 elective operative cases and 1 emergency operative cases. One patient of recurrent scrotal pain was relieved by manual detorsion. Among the five emergency operative cases, scrotal swelling and tenderness were found on the affected side, and the cremasteric reflex disappeared. Ultrasonic examination showed that two had absent testicular flow, one had decreased testicular flow, one had normal testicular flow with swelling epididymis and one with torsion of spermatic cord above testis. While among the 4 elective operative cases, the lie of the affected testis with cremasteric reflex was low on physical examination in all patients, compared with the contralateral testis. Atrophy of the affected testis were found in one case and horizontal lie in another one. The duration of prehospital symptoms ranged 4-24 hours during acute presentation in the 5 emergency patients, and 5-24 months in the 4 elective patients. All patients underwent testicular surgical exploration and bilateral orchidopexy.

Surgical exploration revealed no testicular ischemic infarction, and the rate of testicular salvage was 100%. A bell-clapper deformity (BCD) was found on all the affected testis and 2 contralateral testis as well. The median time of follow-up time was 10 months (range 1-69 months). No recurrence of testicular pain and other complications was found. Except for one case of testicular atrophy in the affected side before operation, the testicles of all patients recovered well without testicular atrophy.

Intermittent testicular torsion is mainly manifested as repeated episodes of sudden onset unilateral scrotal pain that could be spontaneously resolved. The positive clinical findings include a horizontal position of the testes while standing and discrepancy in size of the testes. The ultrasonic examination is diversified because testicular torsion can be spontaneously relieved. Although the rate of testicular salvage is high in ITT, surgical exploration and bilateral scrotal orchiopexy should be carried out as early as possible to prevent recurrent painful episodes and testicular ischemic damage.

Testis; Torsion abnormality; Orchiopexy; Bell-clapper deformity; Children