Electrophysiologic evaluation of cremasteric reflex in experimental orchitis

Abstract Aim Absent cremasteric reflex (CR) is a well known but not reliable sign of testicular torsion. We hypothesized that CR can also be altered in other causes of acute scrotum in children. An experimental study was performed to evaluate the clinical and electrophysiological features of CR in orchitis. Method Eighteen Wistar albino rats were allocated into three groups: control (CG), sham (SG) and orchitis (OG). In CG, after anesthetization with ketamine hydrochloride, the medial site of the anterior superior iliac spine was stimulated to obtain CR electrophysiologically, and latency and duration were recorded with a needle electrode placed in the cremasteric muscle. Electrophysiologic evaluations were performed 24 h after injection of 0.1 ml of 106 cfu/ml Escherichia coli (0:6 strain) in 1 ml of physiologic saline into the right testicle in OG, and 1 ml of saline only in SG. All testicles were sampled to check for orchitis after the electrophysiologic evaluations. Results CR was obtained in all rats in CG and in 83.3% and 66.6% in SG and OG respectively ( p