Blunt trauma to scrotum in men with spinal cord injury after they had completed rehabilitation in a spinal unit

Study design: A report of three men with spinal cord injury (SCI) who susta ined blunt trauma to scrotum after they had completed rehabilitation in the spinal unit. Objectives: To raise awareness amongst health professionals regarding: mech anism of scrotal trauma in men with SCI need for prompt assessment of scrot al injury measures to be taken by men with SCI and their carers to prevent injury to the scrotum. Setting: Regional Spinal Injuries Centre, Southport, England. Case reports: A 31-year-old with C-6 tetraplegia sustained traumatic haematocele as he sq uashed his right testis while he jumped on to a toilet seat in a hurry for bowel movement. A 28-year-old male with T-7 paraplegia sat on his left testis while transfe rring on to a car seat. A boxer dog jumped on to the scrotum of a 40-year-old male with T-8 paraple gia, while he was lying on his bed. Conclusions: Men with SCI are at high risk of sustaining trauma to scrotum during transfers. The scrotum may be squashed by the weight of the body dur ing transfers, or the scrotum may be trapped between the thighs or under th e torso. Men with SCI or their carers should check after each transfer that the scrotum is not trapped between the thighs or under the torso. The heal th professionals should encourage men with SCI to update their transfer ski lls at regular intervals in order to prevent trauma to the scrotum during t ransfers. Blunt trauma to scrotum requires prompt evaluation by ultrasonogr aphy so that appropriate treatment can be instituted without delay.