Epididymitis
This infection of the epididymis, the testicle’s cordlike excretory duct, is one of the most common infections of the male reproductive tract. It usually affects adults and is rare before puberty. Epididymitis may spread to the testicle itself, causing orchitis; bilateral epididymitis may cause sterility.
Causes
Epididymitis usually results from such organisms as Chlamydia trachomatis or Neisseria gonorrhoeae in sexually active men under age 35 and from urinary pathogens in older men. Epididymitis
can result from an existing urinary tract infection or prostatitis and reach the epididymis through the lumen of the vas deferens.
can result from an existing urinary tract infection or prostatitis and reach the epididymis through the lumen of the vas deferens.
Rarely, epididymitis is secondary to a distant infection, such as pharyngitis or tuberculosis, that spreads through the lymphatics or, less commonly, the bloodstream.
Other causes include trauma, gonorrhea, syphilis, and a chlamydial infection. Trauma may reactivate a dormant infection or initiate a new one. Epididymitis is a complication of prostatectomy and may also result from chemical irritation by extravasation of urine through the vas deferens.
