Management of Chronic Orchialgia: Challenges and Solutions - The Current Standard of Care.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Chronic scrotal content pain (CSP) or chronic orchialgia can be debilitating for patients and difficult to treat. There is a paucity of structured treatment algorithms to approach this difficult condition. METHODS: A review of the literature was performed. Conservative treatment options are presented and then targeted surgical interventions that the urologist may perform are then presented in a structured algorithm format. Many of these patients may obtain a significant reduction in pain with some of these treatments. RESULTS: This review presents the pathophysiology, a new assessment tool, and various treatment options available for CSP patients, such as targeted spermatic cord blocks, targeted and standard microsurgical denervation of the spermatic cord (77-100% success rates), ultrasound-guided peri-spermatic cord and ilioinguinal cryoablation (59-75% success rates), scrotox (botox) (56-72% success rates), targeted ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric peripheral nerve stimulation (72% success rate), radical orchiectomy (20-75% success rate), targeted robotic-assisted intra-abdominal denervation (71% success rate) and vasectomy reversal (69-100% success rates). CONCLUSION: A structured and evidence-based approach to help urologists manage patients with chronic orchialgia or scrotal content pain is presented.