Urological Evidence of Tick Bites in Children

Abstract

Ticks pose a serious threat to individuals of all ages owing to numerous physical illnesses including chills, aches, and a rash. Tick-borne illnesses range from a mild fever that may be treated at home to a severe disease necessitating hospitalization. Children are at an increased risk of tick bites owing to to their exposure to tick-infested areas during the summer. We report 2 cases of boys aged 3 and 8 years who sustained tick bites to the hemiscrotum and penis. Overnight hospitalization and a course of antibiotics were mandatory. In the first case, the child experienced significant scrotal cellulitis with erythema and edema extending to the suprapubic area with induration of the right anterior scrotum at the site of the tick bite. A scrotal ultrasound demonstrated swelling of the scrotal wall. In the second case, considerable swelling and induration of the distal penis and glans, pruritis of the left groin and penis, and an erythematous rash over the entire anterior pelvis were observed. A high index of suspicion is warranted because a tick bite may present as penile edema. Pediatric emergency physicians should be aware of the risks associated with tick bites and accurately diagnose and initiate treatment to prevent morbidity and mortality.

Penile cancer after a tick bite: A possible association

“…The first report dated from 1939 when first two cases were published. Shields et al 4 have recently published two cases of possible tick bites in children manifesting as significant scrotal cellulitis in one and swelling and induration of the distal penis and glans, pruritus of the left groin and penis in the second. The authors suggest a high index of suspicion because a tick bite may present as penile edema.…”