Chronic orchitis: A neglected cause of male infertility?
What is orchitis?
Orchitis (or-KY-tis) is swelling or inflammation of one or both testicles (testes). The testicles are part of the male reproductive system. They make sperm and testosterone (a hormone). Most men have two testicles that sit inside a sac called the scrotum.To get more news about
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Infection and inflammation of the male reproductive tract are accepted as important aetiological factors of infertility. With regard to their impact on male reproductive function, orchitis and epididymo-orchitis due to local or systemic infection as well as noninfectious aetiological factors are of particular concern. There is clinical and pathological evidence that chronic inflammatory conditions of the testes can disrupt spermatogenesis and irreversibly alter both sperm number and quality. In the majority of patients, however, diagnosis is hampered by an asymptomatic course of the disease and unspecific clinical signs. Hence, respective epidemiological data are scarce. On the other hand, systematic histopathological work-up of testicular biopsies from infertile men indicates a high prevalence of inflammatory reactions. A characteristic pattern of inflammatory lesions with focal or multifocal, predominantly peritubular lymphocyte infiltration and concomitant damage of seminiferous tubules is seen in chronic orchitis of various origins. This supports the concept that induction of testicular inflammation is associated with a T-cell-mediated autoimmune response, i.e. disruption of the immune privilege. Moreover, despite the patchy distribution of the lesions, testicular volume and score counts for spermatogenesis may be significantly reduced. In conclusion, asymptomatic inflammatory reactions in the testis should not be neglected as an underlying cause or co-factor of male infertility. However, definitive diagnosis of chronic asymptomatic orchitis still requires testicular biopsy and guidelines for the therapeutic management are not yet available.
How common is orchitis?
Orchitis rarely occurs as the only problem affecting the testicles. When it does, it’s usually related to a mumps infection. A standard childhood vaccine — the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) — protects against mumps.
Approximately 600,000 boys and men have epididymitis every year. Many of them — almost six in 10 — have epididymo-orchitis.
What causes orchitis?
Orchitis develops because of a viral or bacterial infection. Most cases of orchitis occur because of urinary tract infections, or a sexually transmitted disease (STD), such as chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis. Having epididymitis can cause orchitis.
Orchitis symptoms typically start to ease within a couple of days without treatment. But it can take weeks or months for the swelling to go away completely.
If a bacterial infection or STD causes orchitis, you’ll need treatment. This may involve 10 to 14 days of oral antibiotics. If the infection is an STD, then your partner will need STD treatment, too.Orchitis causes swollen testicles and testicle pain. The condition often improves with at-home treatments. Some people need antibiotics to treat an STD or other infection. If an STD led to orchitis, you should notify your partners so they can get treatment, too. Your testicles may be swollen for a few months, although testicle pain should diminish. Your healthcare provider can offer suggestions for easing discomfort.
