Torsion of paradidymis or Giraldes' organ: An uncommon cause of acute scrotum in pediatric age group

The paradidymis or Giraldes' organ, or Henle's paraepididymis, is rarely found at autopsy, and even more rarely is it recognized clinically. It derives from the most caudal portion of the mesonephric duct, and the most frequently observed pathological alterations are cystic transformation and torsion, the latter being a possible cause of acute scrotum. During 1987, 132 patients aged from 1 day to 14 years were admitted to our hospital with acute scrotum. We found 64 torsions of testicular and epididymal appendages (48.5%), 21 torsions of spermatic cord (15.9%), 11 orchiepididymitis (8.3%), 1 traumatic injury (0.8%), 4 acute idiopathic scrotal edemas (3.0%), 1 tumor (cystic teratoma) (0.8%), 1 epididymal cyst (0.8%), and 27 strangulated inguinal hernias (20.4%). Only 2 cases of Giraldes' organ torsion were found (1.5%).