Hydrocele

Hydrocele

overview

A hydrocele (HI-droe-seel) is a type of swelling in the scrotum that occurs when fluid builds up in the thin covering around a testicle. A hydrocele is common in newborns and usually resolves without treatment by 1 year of age. Older boys and adult men can develop a hydrocele due to inflammation or injury in the scrotum.

A hydrocele is usually not painful or harmful and may not require treatment. But if you have testicular swelling, see your doctor to rule out other causes.

Symptoms

Most of the time, the only indication of a hydrocele is a painless swelling of one or both testicles.

Adult men with a hydrocele may experience discomfort from the severity of a swollen scrotum. Pain generally increases with the size of the inflammation. Sometimes the swollen area is smaller in the morning and larger later in the day.

When to go to the doctor?

See your doctor if you or your child experiences testicular swelling. It is important to rule out other causes of swelling that may require treatment. For example, a hydrocele may be associated with a weak spot in the abdominal wall that allows a loop of intestine to extend into the scrotum (inguinal hernia).

A baby's hydrocele usually goes away on its own. But if your baby's hydrocele doesn't go away after a year or if it enlarges, ask your child's doctor to re-examine the hydrocele.

Get medical treatment immediately if you or your child develops sudden, severe testicular pain or swelling, especially within several hours of an injury to the scrotum. These signs and symptoms can occur in a number of conditions, including blocked blood flow in a twisted testicle (testicular torsion). Testicular torsion must be treated within hours of the onset of signs and symptoms to save the testicle.

Causes

babies

Hydrocele

Hydrocele

Hydrocele is the type of scrotal swelling that occurs when fluid builds up in the thin covering that surrounds the testicle.

A hydrocele can develop before birth. Normally, the testicles descend from the developing baby's abdominal cavity into the scrotum. A sac accompanies each testicle, allowing fluid to surround the testicles. Normally, each bag closes and the liquid is absorbed.

Sometimes the fluid remains after the sac has closed (non-communicating hydrocele). The fluid is usually gradually absorbed within the first year of life. But occasionally the sac remains open (communicating hydrocele). The sac may change size or if the scrotum is compressed, fluid may flow back into the abdomen. Communicating hydroceles are often associated with an inguinal hernia.

Older males

A hydrocele can develop as a result of an injury or inflammation in the scrotum. The inflammation can be caused by an infection in the testicle or the small, winding tube at the back of each testicle (epididymitis).

Risk factors

Most hydroceles are present at birth. At least 5 percent of newborn boys have a hydrocele. Babies born prematurely are at higher risk of developing a hydrocele.

Risk factors for developing a hydrocele later in life include:

• Verletzung oder Entzündung des Hodensacks
• Infektion, einschließlich einer sexuell übertragbaren Infektion (STI)

Complications

A hydrocele is usually not dangerous and does not usually affect fertility. However, a hydrocele can be associated with an underlying testicular disease, which can cause serious complications including:

• Infektion oder Tumor. Beide könnten die Spermienproduktion oder -funktion reduzieren.
• Leistenbruch. Die in der Bauchdecke eingeklemmte Darmschlinge kann zu lebensgefährlichen Komplikationen führen.

Sources:

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