Element: Water. A Second Step Stone Metaphysical: For many people all over the world Lapis lazuli is considered a stone of universal truth and friendship. The blue stone is reputed to bring about harmony in relationships and to help its wearer being an authentic individual who may openly state his or her opinion.
Testicular torsion is an emergency, since interruption of the blood supply can lead to tissue death of the affected testicle. Inflammation of the testicle (orchitis) or epididymis due to any cause can also lead to testicular swelling. Other causes include anatomical abnormalities, infections, hernia, and tumors. A hydrocele is a benign buildup of fluid around a testicle that can appear as testicular or scrotal swelling. A varicocele is the enlargement of veins within the scrotum and does not involve the testicles themselves.
Testicular torsion represents a surgical emergency because the likelihood of testicular salvage diminishes with the duration of torsion. Therefore, the family physician must act quickly to identify or exclude this condition in any patient who presents with an acute scrotum. This article reviews an approach to the diagnosis and treatment of the acute scrotum (Figure 1) .