Kochi, Oct 24 (PTI) Kochi, Oct 24 (PTI) Sudden testicular pain in boys and adolescents should be treated as a medical emergency, as delays can cause irreversible damage and loss of the testis, urologists warned on Saturday.
The warning was issued at the fourth annual conference of the Urological Association of Kerala (UAK), UAKON 2026, which began at a hotel in the city.
The Kochi Urology Club is organising the event in association with the UAK.
According to a statement issued by the organisers, the condition, known as testicular torsion, occurs when the spermatic cord twists and cuts off the blood supply to the testis.
It can affect boys of any age and may develop during sleep, sports or routine activities. Sudden pain and an unusually high position of the testis are among the warning signs, the doctors said.
UAK President Dr Sanjeevan Kalavampala said the chances of saving the testis are considerably higher if the twisting is surgically corrected within four to six hours of the onset of pain. Even a delay of a few hours could make the difference between saving and losing the testis, he said, adding that suspected torsion should be treated as an emergency until it is ruled out.
The doctors said hospital-based studies in Keralam had reported testicular loss in nearly 70 per cent of cases.
While the findings could not be treated as statewide estimates, they highlighted the consequences of delayed diagnosis and treatment, they said. They added that an ultrasound could help confirm the diagnosis, but investigations should not delay surgery when torsion is strongly suspected.
Organising Chairman Dr John Abraham said awareness should be raised in schools and among the wider community, as boys often hesitate to disclose pain in their private parts.
Teachers, parents and sports coaches should be trained to recognise the symptoms, and awareness drives should encourage children to seek medical help promptly, he said.
The conference discussed advances in urological care, from bladder-preserving treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer and treatment for overactive bladder to kidney transplantation, robotic surgery, prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment, and artificial urinary sphincters.
Sessions on the concluding day will focus on precision imaging, diagnosis of urological cancers, prevention of recurrent kidney stones and emerging treatments for prostate cancer, the organisers said. PTI LGK SSK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.