Dog Bite Injury to the Scrotum of a 9 year old: A Case Report.

Abstract

Introduction: Dog bite injuries to the scrotum are rare but may be associated with life threatening complications if not properly managed. Objective: To highlight a case of dog bite injury to the scrotum of a young boy who had primary wound closure with satisfactory wound outcome. Case Report: AA is a 9year old boy who was brought into the Accident & Emergency unit of our hospital by his parents and the owner of a dog on account of injury to his scrotum from bite from a Rottweiler dog.He was said to have been attacked by the vaccinated dog unprovoked while feeding it. He sustained injury to the scrotum with loss of scrotal skin and bleeding from the ensuing wound. He had never had tetanus immunization. Scrotal examination revealed a complete avulsion of part of the scrotal skin with a 5cm defect and exposure of normal viable testes with their tunical coverings. He had initial copious lavage of the wound with saline before dressing with sterile gauze. He then had exploration of the scrotal wound under GA, wound debridement and closure in two layers.His postoperative recovery was uneventful and the wound healed fine. He has since completed his tetanus vaccination. The culpable dog remained okay even beyond 10 days of observation and monitoring for signs of rabies. Conclusion: Dog bite injuries can be prevented by ensuring close observation of dogs for change in behavior and limiting contact as much as possible. Copious lavage, wound debridement and closure should be done. Tetanus immunization and monitoring for rabies should be instituted.