ESSENTIAL WORKUP
- Pregnancy test
- GC/chlamydia testing
- Other tests as directed by history and physical exam
- Rarely diagnosed in ED
DIAGNOSIS TESTS & NTERPRETATION
Lab
- Pregnancy test
- GC/chlamydia testing
- Hematocrit if bleeding
- Type and screen if significant bleeding
- Other labs as directed by history and physical exam
Imaging
- Ultrasound (11% sensitivity)
- Doppler ultrasound
- CT scan (15% sensitivity)
- MRI (69% sensitivity; 75% specificity)
- Typically not helpful in ED
Diagnostic Procedures/Surgery
Laparoscopy usually required for definitive diagnosis
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
- Appendicitis
- Dysfunctional uterine bleeding
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Irritable bowel disease
- Menstrual cramps/mittelschmerz
- Ovarian cyst
- Ovarian torsion
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Tubo-ovarian abscess
TREATMENT
PRE HOSPITAL
- Stabilize as needed.
- Pain control as necessary
INITIAL STABILIZATION/THERAPY
- Treat hypotension or tachycardia from blood loss with isotonic IV fluids
- May need to transfuse packed red blood cells (PRBCs) if significant bleeding
ED TREATMENT/PROCEDURES
- Analgesia
- Oral contraceptive (i.e., medroxyprogesterone acetate) or gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (i.e., leuprolide acetate) in consultation with gynecologist or primary care physician
- Gynecology consultation for significant bleeding, pain, or serious complication
MEDICATION
- Ibuprofen: 400–800 mg PO q6–8h (max. 3.2 g/d)
- Acetaminophen: 325–650 mg PO q4–6h (max. 4 g/d)
- Ketorolac: 15–30 mg IV or 30–60 mg IM
- Morphine: 4–8 mg IM/IV or equivalent analgesic
First Line
- Ibuprofen: 400–800 mg PO q6–8h (max. 3.2 g/d)
- Acetaminophen: 325–650 mg PO q4–6h (max. 4 g/d)
- Ketorolac: 15–30 mg IV or 30–60 mg IM
FOLLOW-UP
DISPOSITION
Admission Criteria
- Intractable pain
- Significant bleeding
- Unclear diagnosis
- Need for further workup and treatment
- Peritoneal signs
Discharge Criteria
Most patients with suspected endometriosis can be discharged with pain control and gynecology referral
FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS
Suspected cases of endometriosis should be referred to a gynecologist for evaluation and treatment
PEARLS AND PITFALLS
- Occurs in 6–10% of women of reproductive age
- Endometriosis frequently causes cyclical pelvic pain
- Rarely diagnosed initially in ED; delay between symptom onset and diagnosis frequently years
- Rule out other emergency medical conditions and treat symptoms as needed
- Endometriosis is a chronic condition that necessitates outpatient monitoring by a gynecologist or primary care physician
ADDITIONAL READING
- Cirilli AR, Cipot SJ. Emergency evaluation and management of vaginal bleeding in the nonpregnant patient.
Emerg Med Clin North Am
. 2012;30:991–1006.
- Giudice LC. Clinical practice. Endometriosis.
N Eng J Med.
2010;362:2389–2398.
- McLeod BS, Retzloff MG. Epidemiology of endometriosis: An assessment of risk factors.
Clin Obstet Gynecol
. 2010;53:389–396.
- Vercellini P, Crosignani P, Somigliana E, et al. “Waiting for Godot”: A commonsense approach to the medical treatment of endometriosis.
Hum Reprod.
2011;26:3–13.
CODES
ICD9
- 617.1 Endometriosis of ovary
- 617.3 Endometriosis of pelvic peritoneum
- 617.9 Endometriosis, site unspecified
ICD10
- N80.1 Endometriosis of ovary
- N80.3 Endometriosis of pelvic peritoneum
- N80.9 Endometriosis, unspecified
EPIDIDYMITIS/ORCHITIS
Matthew D. Cook
•
Kevin R. Weaver
BASICS
DESCRIPTION
Epididymitis
- Definition: Inflammation or infection of the epididymis
- Rare in prepubertal boys
- Pathogenesis:
- Initial stages:
- Cellular inflammation begins in vas deferens, descends to epididymis
- Acute phase:
- Epididymis is swollen and indurated in upper and lower poles.
- Spermatic cord thickened
- Testis may become edematous owing to passive congestion or inflammation.
- Resolution:
- May be complete without sequelae
- Peritubular fibrosis may develop, occluding ductules.
- Complications:
- 2/3 of men have atrophy due to partial vascular thrombosis of testicular artery.
- Abscess and infarction rare (5%)
- Incidence of infertility with unilateral epididymitis unknown:
- 50% with bilateral epididymitis
Orchitis
- Definition: Inflammation or infection of the testicle:
- Usually from direct extension of the same process within the epididymis
- Isolated testicular infection is rare:
- Can result from hematogenous spread of bacteria or following mumps infection
- Categories:
- Pyogenic bacterial orchitis secondary to bacterial involvement of epididymis
- Viral orchitis:
- Most commonly due to mumps
- Rare in prepubertal boys; occurs in 20–30% of postpubertal boys with mumps.
- Occurs 4–6 days after parotitis but can occur without parotitis.
- Unilateral in 70% of patients
- Usually resolution in 6–10 days
- 30–50% of testes involved have residual atrophy; rarely affects fertility
- Granulomatous orchitis:
- Syphilis
- Mycobacterium and fungal diseases
- Usually occurs in immunocompromised host
ETIOLOGY
Epididymitis
- Children:
- Most common in children <1 yr or between the ages of 12–15 yr
- Etiology identified in only 25% of prepubertal boys
- Coliform or pseudomonal UTI
- Sexually transmitted diseases rare in prepubertal males
- Associated with predisposing abnormalities of lower urinary tract
- Young men, age <35 yr:
- Usually sexually transmitted
- Chlamydia trachomatis
(28–88%) with severe inflammation with minimal destruction
- Neisseria gonorrhea
(3–28%)
- Coliform bacteria (7–24%):
- Highly destructive with tendency for abscess
- Coliform bacteria more common in insertive partners in anal intercourse
- Ureaplasma urealyticum
(sole organism in only 6% of cases)
- Older men, age >35 yr:
- Commonly associated with underlying urologic pathology (benign prostatic hypertrophy, prostate cancer, strictures)
- May have acute or chronic bacterial prostatitis
- Coliform bacteria more common (23–67%), especially after instrumentation
- C. trachomatis
(8–80%)
- Klebsiella and Pseudomonas species
- N. gonorrhea
(15%)
- Gram-positive cocci
- Drug related:
- Amiodarone-induced epididymitis:
- Usually with amiodarone levels > therapeutic levels
- Granulomatous:
- Etiology maybe related to mycobacterial, syphilis, or fungal infections:
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
is the most common cause of granulomatous disease affecting the epididymis
- Suspect in HIV patients
- Urine cultures often negative for
M. tuberculosis
- Vasculitis:
- Polyarteritis nodosa
- Behcçet disease
- Henoch–Schönlein purpura
Orchitis
- Pyogenic bacterial orchitis:
- Escherichia coli
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Staphylococci
- Streptococci
- Viral orchitis:
- Mumps:
- 20% may develop epididymo-orchitis.
- Rarely associated with live-attenuated mumps vaccine
- Coxsackie A and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus
- Granulomatous orchitis: Syphilis, mycobacterial and fungal diseases:
- Fungal orchitis:
- Blastomycosis in endemic regions
- Invasive candidal infections in immunosuppressed hosts
- Post-traumatic orchitis: Inflammation