A man developed a 'whistling scrotum' after an operation left an open wound

• A 72-year-old man went to the ER with difficulty breathing and a "whistling scrotum."
• Doctors found air buildup throughout his body that escaped through a wound from a recent procedure.

A 72-year-old man is the first known person to develop a "whistling scrotum" after a wound on his testicles allowed air trapped in his body to escape.

The man, described in the June issue of the American Journal of Case Reports, went to a local emergency room with difficulty breathing and a hissing scrotum. He'd recently undergone a surgical procedure to treat recurrent epididymitis, when the tube in the testicle that stores and carries sperm gets inflamed.

At the hospital, doctors found the man had two collapsed lungs, air between the chest and lungs, and "excessive" air throughout his abdomen, perineum, and scrotum. They also noticed an open wound on his scrotum.

Doctors gave the man chest tubes for his collapsed lungs, and transferred him to a bigger hospital for further treatment. There, he received another chest tube since one hadn't been working, worsening his condition. But after three days, his lungs were repaired and he was discharged.

However, air remained trapped in his perineum, thighs, and scrotum for an "abnormally long time." The man eventually underwent surgery to remove his testicles. Two years after his initial hospital visit, his body was finally free of excess air.

In their report, the clinicians say that while collapsed lungs are common, this case is unique in that it occurred in someone with an open scrotal wound. It's possible, they say, the two conditions together allowed more air to circulate throughout the man's body instead of progressing to a deadlier condition.

The doctors also wrote that while air in the scrotum — called "pneumoscrotum" — is unusual, it's not unheard of. Typically, it's the result of trauma, like from an accident. They said the man's case is the first documented instance of pneumoscrotum in someone with an open scrotal wound, allowing "air to pass freely outside the body."