Brian P. Jacob, David C. Chen, Bruce Ramshaw, Shirin Towfigh (eds.) - The SAGES Manual of Groin Pain-Springer International Publishing (2016)

10. Groin Pain Etiology: Spermatic
Cord and Testicular Causes
Juzar Jamnagerwalla and Howard H. Kim
Introduction
Chronic groin pain can persist for months and even years. Symptoms
can be vague and often linger as the patient seeks care from multiple
providers. Although historically urologists were the primary specialists
in managing men with chronic groin pain, now various specialties are
involved, using a multidisciplinary approach. The etiologies of chronic
groin pain are not limited to testicular and spermatic cord causes and can
be referred from other sources within the pelvis, abdomen, and lower
extremities. As urological, gynecological, orthopedic, and general surgeons
often collaborate for complex cases of chronic groin pain, each
specialist should be familiar with the different etiologies and treatment.
Furthermore, as more patients are diagnosed with chronic pelvic pain
syndrome (CPPS), understanding the anatomy and pathophysiology of
the genitourinary system can help physicians accurately diagnose and
treat patients with chronic groin pain.
“Groin pain” is often used interchangeably with pain of testicular,
epididymal, spermatic cord, scrotal, inguinal, and pelvic origin; in this
chapter, although the discussion broadly encompasses the concept of
urological groin pain, further distinction of anatomic origin is made
when appropriate to keep consistent with the referenced studies.
Definition
Groin pain can be acute or chronic. The acute scrotum is characterized
by pain, erythema, or swelling, with onset measured in hours to days.
Chronic testicular pain is defined as intermittent or constant, unilateral
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
B.P. Jacob et al. (eds.), The SAGES Manual of Groin Pain,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-21587-7_10
111