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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffYour doctor will do a physical exam, which may reveal enlarged lymph nodes in your groin and an enlarged testicle on the affected side; both may be tender to the touch. Your doctor may do a rectal examination to check for prostate enlargement or tenderness and order blood and urine tests to check for infection and other abnormalities.
Other tests your doctor might order to determine the presence of an STD and to rule out the possibility of testicular torsion, which requires immediate treatment, include:
- STD screening. This involves obtaining a sample of discharge from your urethra. Your doctor may insert a narrow swab into the end of your penis to obtain the sample, which will be viewed under a microscope or cultured to check for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
- Urinalysis. A sample of your urine, collected either at home first thing in the morning or at your doctor's office, is analyzed in a lab for abnormalities in appearance, concentration or content.
- Ultrasound imaging. This test, which uses high-frequency sound waves to create precise images of structures inside your body, may be used to rule out twisting of the spermatic cord (testicular torsion). Ultrasound with color Doppler can determine if the blood flow to your testicle is reduced or increased, which helps confirm the diagnosis of orchitis.
- Nuclear scan of the testicles. Also used to rule out testicular torsion, this test involves injecting tiny amounts of radioactive material into your bloodstream. Special cameras can then detect areas in your testicles that receive less blood flow, indicating torsion, or more blood flow, confirming the diagnosis of orchitis.
- Epididymitis and orchitis. American Urological Association. http://www.urologyhealth.org/search/index.cfm?topic=490&search=orchitis&searchtype=and. Accessed Aug. 25, 2009.
- Trojian T. et al. Epididymitis and orchitis: An overview. American Family Physician. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20090401/583.html. Accessed Aug. 25, 2009.
- Orchitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec17/ch239/ch239e.html. Accessed Aug. 25, 2009.
- Mumps. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/mumps-508.pdf. Accessed Aug. 27, 2009.
