Autoimmune orchitis may be divided into 2 types:
(1) primary
(2) secondary to a systemic autommune disorder
Features of primary autoimmune orchitis:
(1) usually asymptomaic
(2) presence of isolated infertility
(3) associated with autoantibodies to sperm, seminiferous tubules or basement membrane
(4) no evidence of a systemic autoimmune disorder
Features of secondary autoimmune orchitis:
(1) presence of acute orchitis (with scrotal pain, edema, erythema) and/or testicular vasculitis
(2) presence of a systemic autoimmune disorder
Systemic autoimmune diseases associated with secondary orchitis include:
(1) Behcet’s disease
(2) scleroderma
(3) ulcerative colitis
(4) rhaumetoid arthritis (RA)
(5) relapsing polychondritis
(6) systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
(7) Henoch-Schenlein purpura
(8) polyarteritis nodosa (PAN)
(9) cryoglobulinemic vasculitis
