Man left unable to walk after his scrotum swelled so big it hung below his knees and began rotting
A MAN was left unable to walk after his scrotum swelled so big it hung below his knees and began rotting. The 43-year-old, who hadn’t been to see a doctor in around 30 years, went to A&E in Panama suffering with a fever. Docs carried out an examination where they discovered the massive swelling hanging […]
A MAN was left unable to walk after his scrotum swelled so big it hung below his knees and began rotting.
The 43-year-old, who hadn’t been to see a doctor in around 30 years, went to A&E in Panama suffering with a fever.
Docs carried out an examination where they discovered the massive swelling hanging below beyond his knees.
He relied on a walker to walk and his mum attended to most of his daily needs, according to medics detailing the case in Urology Case Reports.
The skin was thickened and there were two open wounds with foul smelling, pussy liquid at the bottom of his left scrotum.
Medics said a CT scan of his abdomen and pelvis revealed he had a massive inguinal hernia, containing part of his bowel.
Fluid had collected in the bottom left half of his scrotum and he had suffered severe swelling in one of his kidneys due to a build-up of urine.
Emergency op
Doctors were also worried about the fact the flesh was starting to rot and he was rushed for emergency surgery.
In the operating theatre, they removed the infected skin and tissue but found that he had a further open wound under the skin that was rotting.
They attempted to place a catheter but it proved to be difficult due to a buried penis and were eventually successful after carrying out a dorsal slit procedure.
The next day, the patient was brought back into theatre so docs could remove more of the dead flesh.
Over the next five days he remained in hospital on antibiotics via an IV line.
Agony
Medics said in the report: “His wound appeared to be improving but dressing changes and wound vacuum were too painful.”
They made the decision to carry out major surgery to remove his scrotum and repair his hernia.
The hydrocele – the medical term for the type of swelling in the scrotum – measured up to 3.35kg (7lbs) and was 30.2cm x 24.4cm x 13.1cm (12in x 10in x 5in) in size.
On his eighth day in hospital, the man was taken back to the operating room for plastic surgery.
MORE ON CASE REPORTS
He had a split thickness graft for the penis and primary closure of the perineum.
Two days later he was discharged to a rehabilitation facility and was seen four weeks later where docs found he was h ealing well.
In concluding the case, the medics said: “With this treatment plan, initial debridement followed by a staged repair on day 3 and day 8, the patient was spared prolonged wound care, painful dressing changes, without sacrificing cosmetic and functional outcomes.”