Epidemiology

Epididymitis is a common cause of acute scrotal pain in adolescents and adults.[10] Data on the incidence and prevalence of acute epididymitis are, however, limited.

In one study of patient encounters at a US emergency department, 1.3% of men were diagnosed with epididymitis, orchitis, or both conditions over a 3-year period.[11]

One 2005 study in Canada showed that 0.9% of men seen at an outpatient practice over a 2.5-year period presented with epididymitis.[12] In a study in the UK, the reported annual incidence was 2.45 cases per 1000 men between 2003 and 2008.[13] Another study in boys, undertaken in Europe, estimated the annual incidence of epididymitis at 1.2 per 1000 male children.[14]

Epididymitis may present at any age, with the majority of patients aged 20 to 39 years.[15] The majority of cases of epididymitis in children occur around the time of puberty in early adolescence.[16]

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