Tuberculous epididymitis is a rare urological disease difficult to diagnose. The conventional methods for diagnosis are often time-consuming and invasive. The combined use of scrotal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and urinary polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay for mycobacterial DNA (the latter because of its high sensitivity and specificity to demonstrate mycobacterial DNA) is a valuable method for rapid diagnosis of tuberculous epididymitis. We report a 79-year-old man who was admitted with the chief complaints of bilateral scrotal swelling and pain. The combined use of scrotal MRI and urinary PCR allowed prompt diagnosis of tuberculous epididymitis and adequate antituberculous therapy.
Aged ; DNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; Epididymitis ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tuberculosis, Urogenital ; diagnosis ; microbiology