What are the risks of acute mumps orchitis?

The inflammation of a man’s “lifeblood” is not a trivial matter, and should not be taken lightly. The testicular inflammation can be caused by various pathogenic factors, more commonly due to the mumps virus and bacterial infection, and the mumps virus is epidemic in nature and needs more attention. So, how does “mumps” cause testicular inflammation? It turns out that humans are susceptible to mumps virus in spring, which proliferates in the epithelial tissues of the upper respiratory tract and produces viraemia, which invades the body’s glands through the bloodstream, of which the parotid gland is most susceptible to infection, and about 20% of them are complicated by orchitis. This type of orchitis occurs about 5-7 days after the onset of parotid swelling and pain in mumps patients, with about 70% of them having unilateral testicular involvement and only about 10%-30% having simultaneous bilateral involvement. Testicular atrophy occurs within a few months to years after the infection, severely affecting spermatogenesis and maturation, and patients are often infertile due to azoospermia or severe oligospermia. When one testicle is involved, sperm density may be normal or slightly reduced, but fertility may be preserved. In the case of bilateral orchitis, male infertility can result, but androgen levels are generally normal, so sexual function is generally unaffected. The disease was previously thought to occur in adults, and undeveloped testes are not affected, but in recent years the incidence of mumps-induced orchitis has increased, and the incidence of sequelae such as testicular atrophy and infertility has also been reported in adolescents and even 3-year-old children. Irreversible sperm destruction occurs in about 30% of patients with mumps-induced orchitis. The affected testes are highly atrophic. To avoid unpleasant results, acute mumps orchitis should be followed by early bed rest, avoidance of physical labor, prohibition of sexual intercourse, elevation of the affected scrotum to reduce discomfort, and the use of pain relievers and antipyretics depending on the situation. Antibiotics are not effective for this disease, symptomatic treatment is the main focus, specifically under the guidance of doctors to carry out anti-viral, enhance immunity and other comprehensive treatment, such as interferon in addition to acute mumps, viral orchitis has a better effect, but also to prevent testicular atrophy has a better effect. In addition, “mumps” is a common respiratory infection among children and adolescents, so parents must pay attention to this disease when their children are ill and prevent complications such as orchitis. The vaccination can also be administered with 20 ml of mumps superimmune globulin during the incubation period of the disease. As long as the disease is detected and treated systematically and effectively in a timely manner, it is still possible to prevent testicular injuries.