Patient's question:
Male, the left testicle is much larger than the right one, with obvious pain, making the groin uncomfortable, and lower back pain. What are the causes of orchitis?Doctor's answer:
Testicular inflammation is usually caused by bacteria and viruses. The testicles rarely suffer from bacterial infections due to their rich blood and lymphatic supply, which provides strong resistance to bacterial infections. Most bacterial testicular infections are secondary to inflammation of the adjacent epididymis, hence the term epididymo-orchitis. Common pathogens include Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, E. coli, and others. Viruses can directly attack the testicles, with the most common being the mumps virus, which often leads to viral orchitis shortly after the onset of mumps.