Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine

Introduction: Emergency department physicians should incorporate point-of-care-ultrasound (POCUS) in the assessment of patients presenting with acute scrotal pain for rapid identification of the time sensitive urologic emergency, testicular torsion.

Case Report: A 20-year-old otherwise healthy male, with a history of monorchism, presented to the emergency department with vague testicular pain. A POCUS was performed, which demonstrated attenuated arterial flow of the patient’s single testicle as well as twisting (“whirlpool sign”) of the spermatic cord, both highly specific ultrasonographic findings of testicular torsion.

Conclusion: These findings expedited definitive management resulting in the salvage of the single ischemic testicle.