Progressive accumulation of activity on scrotal scintigraphy in early incarcerated inguinal hernia

The authors describe a patient with acute scrotum secondary to incarcerated indirect inguinal hernia (IIH). A testicular scan obtained shortly after onset of pain demonstrated progressively increasing tracer accumulation in the effected scrotum. Blood pooling within engorged veins of the incarcerated bowel segment were found on surgical exploration. This pattern has not been previously described on scrotal scanning in IIH cases. The patient also had uncomplicated and asymptomatic IIH on the opposite side that demonstrated a typical photopenic hemiscrotum.