Mean platelet volume and testicular torsion: New findings

Introduction: Testicular torsion is an emergency at any age; the aim of this study is to evaluate the role of mean platelet volume to assess the viability of the testes before surgery Materials and methods: We retrospectively analysed the medical records of consecutive patients who underwent surgical exploration for acute scrotal pathology between January 2014 and December 2016 in our institution. Patients were divided into two groups (detorsion of testes and orchyectomy); a third group was created as control group. All patients underwent blood exam before surgery; inclusion and exclusion criteria were created. We also evaluated the association between mean platelets volume and the testicular recovery during surgery Result: After reviewing medical charts following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 8 patients were enrolled in Group 1 and 11 patients in Group 2. 33 healthy controls were enrolled in Group 3. MPV value in Group 1 resulted significantly different (p < 0.01) from the value in Group 2 and 3. The duration of symptoms was shorter than 6 hours in 4/8 (50%) patients in Group 1; this early referral to hospital allowed prompt detorsion and testicular recovery. In these "early-presenting" patients, MPV value was significantly lower than in patients with torsion of testicular appendage (p = 0.01) and in controls (p = 0.001). Conclusion: MPV could be a useful adjunct in diagnosing TT, aiding its differential diagnosis with Torsion of the testicular appendage. The lower MPV value in "early-presenting" patients with TT suggests a role in predicting the testis viability, and therefore the appropriate treatment.