The aetiology of scrotal sepsis

The clinical findings and bacteriology of 30 abscesses of the scrotum are described. Anaerobic organisms were found in 27 abscesses (90 per cent), and in 3 cases in which they were not, the patients were receiving metronidazole at the time of drainage. Multiple anaerobic species were isolated, predominantly those found as commensals in the oropharynx and genital tract. ‘Gut specific’ Bacteroides spp. were very uncommon and were found only in patients with necrotizing fasciitis. It is suggested that the severity of some infections, particularly after scrotal surgery, is associated with thrombosis of the scrotal vessels.