Testicular vasculitis: a diagnostic conundrum

Oxf Med Case Reports. 2020 May 23;2020(4):omaa028. doi: 10.1093/omcr/omaa028. eCollection 2020 Apr.

Abstract

Vasculitis is rare in the context of testicular lesions but, when found, can be classified as a single organ vasculitis or part of a multi-organ inflammatory process. In the context of a patient with a pre-existing autoimmune disorder, this finding might cause diagnostic confusion and preferentially bias a physician towards attributing the condition to the known diagnosis or its treatment. This diagnostic bias can interfere with patient care and lead to over caution, resulting in a worse outcome for the patient involved. We describe such a patient with rheumatoid arthritis on biologic therapy.

Keywords: drug-related vasculitis; rheumatoid arthritis; testicular vasculitis.