Objective      To analyze the diagnosis and treatment of testicular torsion and its effect on the contralateral testicular function.       Methods      Clinical data of 49 cases of testicular torsion who were treated in our department of urology in First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou university from January 2006 to June 2010 were summarized and analyzed. Preoperative examination of serum sex hormones and intraoperative biopsy of the contralateral testis were carried out in all the patients.        Results      All patients were treated with surgical exploration. Among them

12 cases were fixed by surgical reduction and contralateral orchiopexy

and the other 37 cases were treated with orchiectomy and contralateral orchiopexy. Among the 12 patients with surgical reduction

for the 3 cases with operation within 12 h after onset

the surgery was succeed but 1 case had testicular atrophy postoperatively; for the 5 cases with operation within 12 to 24 h after onset

7 cases had testicular survival after operation and the left 2 cases had testicular atrophy; for the 2 cases with operation over 24 h after onset

they both had testicular atrophy though operation was success. In the 12 cases with contralateral testicular biopsy

10 cases showed varied decrease in germ cells

sperm cells and mature sperm. FSH was elevated in 9 cases

LH was increased in 8 cases and T was declined in 4 cases in the 12 cases with preoperative endocrine examination.       Conclusion      Salvage rate of testicular torsion is closely related to the duration and the degree of torsion. Delayed treatment is an important reason for testicle missing. Color Doppler ultrasonography is recommended first. For the patients with torsion time over 24 h and rotating degree above 360

orchidectomy is suggested directly to reduce the damage to the healthy contralateral testicle to protect fertility.