Testicular hydrocele is a common condition that occurs in adult men and young children. Why does it occur? What treatment is required? You will find answers to these and other questions in the presented article.
Description of the disease
Hydrocele (otherwise dropsy) is a pathology accompanied by the accumulation of fluid in the scrotal cavity. Its volume can vary from 20 ml to 3 liters. Depending on the cause of the disease, two of its forms are distinguished - communicating and isolated. In the first case, the scrotum is connected to the abdominal cavity through a canal. The communicating form of testicular hydrocele is much more common in children than in adults. It does not require specific treatment and resolves on its own within a few months. The isolated form develops as a result of the production of fluid in the testicular membranes in excess quantities. Its occurrence may be preceded by an injury to the groin or an inflammatory process.
Mechanism of disease progression
The main function of one of the testicular membranes is to produce fluid that promotes freemoving it inside the scrotum. There is a balance between secretion production and reabsorption. If it is violated, the fluid begins to accumulate in the membranes, provoking the development of a hydrocele of the right testicle or the left. During the intrauterine period, the gland descends into the lower genital organs. At the same time, the so-called vaginal process moves. Its hole is gradually tightened. If this does not happen, the liquid begins to accumulate. According to this principle, hydrocele develops in young children.
In adult men, the disease is usually acquired. Injury to the inguinal region, radiation, and an infectious disease can contribute to its occurrence. In the 19th century, testicular hydrocele was most often diagnosed with gonorrhea. Today, the main cause of illness is trauma. The mechanical impact can be so insignificant that a man will not even feel any changes. The anomaly usually manifests itself a few days after injury. Initially, a small seal is formed that does not cause pain. Then it increases in size. Only at this stage, the representatives of the stronger sex go to the doctor.
Features of hydrocele in children
Dropsy of the testicular membrane, as a rule, occurs at the age of 20-30 years. In young children, pathology is diagnosed in a third of cases, half of which are in boys under 5 years old. The painful process can last for several years. As a rule, the pathology goes away on its own. One in five children in a hundred needs surgery.
Hydroceletesticles in children can be triggered by certain factors:
- hereditary predisposition;
- infectious diseases;
- mechanical damage;
- low birth weight;
- inflammatory processes in the scrotum.
The most difficult are such cases when dropsy is formed after radical treatment of a hernia of the inguinal region. Small patients require constant monitoring with duplex examination and ultrasound. If the volume of education interferes with the child and quickly increases in size, surgical intervention is also indicated. Children tolerate operations very well, the recovery period requires a lot of effort. At this time, doctors recommend limiting stress and mobility so that the sutures do not come apart.
Manifestations of the disease in adults and children
The main symptom of a hydrocele is an enlarged scrotum. Pathological changes can be observed both on one side and on both sides. Dropsy is usually not accompanied by pain discomfort, but in small patients there may be a slight increase in temperature.
Hydrocele of the testicles in men, as a rule, proceeds in an acute form. In the absence of timely treatment, it transforms into a chronic one. Acute dropsy occurs suddenly and may be accompanied by symptoms of intoxication (weakness, loss of appetite). The chronic form of the disease is characterized by heaviness in the scrotum, an increase in its size during the daytime and a decrease at night. Fluid builds up slowly. However,some patients, its volumes reach critical levels. Such a hydrocele necessarily affects the quality of life of a man. He cannot move freely, education makes urination problematic, leads to disruption of spermatogenesis.
Diagnostic measures
When the initial symptoms of the disease appear, you should consult a doctor. As a rule, the diagnosis is not difficult. The doctor must examine the scrotum with a bright light (a procedure called diaphanoscopy). If necessary, schedule additional examinations:
- Ultrasound of the scrotum and duplex scanning of blood vessels. Ultrasound examination allows you to determine the hydrocele of the testicle, the causes that caused it, the presence of tumors of the spermatic cord.
- If an inflammatory process is suspected, a general and bacteriological analysis of urine is prescribed. The test results also allow the doctor to choose the most effective antibiotic for subsequent treatment.
- Scrotal puncture is recommended for suspected oncology. The material obtained during the study is then sent for study already in the laboratory.
It is important to differentiate dropsy from diseases such as varicocele, inguinal hernia and orchitis.
Treatment of hydrocele in children
Until the age of two, doctors prefer to keep waiting. The vaginal process in most children closes on its own by the first year of life. If it doesn't passhydrocele of the testicle, the symptoms increase every day, conservative treatment is possible. In such cases, a procedure is resorted to to remove excess fluid from the shells by puncture. All manipulations are carried out in a hospital, so as not to introduce an infection. Once the age of two is reached, surgery is the only treatment option.
Conservative treatment in adults
In the development of testicular hydrocele against the background of inflammation of the scrotum in adult men, the leading direction in the treatment is antibiotic therapy. In addition, the patient is recommended complete rest and wearing a special bandage - a suspensory. In the case of a complete cure of the underlying disease, testicular tissues are restored, and blood supply and lymph flow are normalized.
Hydrocele treatment at home
Many parents, worrying about the he alth of the child, resort to the help of recipes from folk healers. A disease such as testicular hydrocele is not an exception in this matter. Treatment at home is possible only if the disease is not accompanied by discomfort. In addition, it is mandatory to consult a doctor. Below are some popular traditional medicine recipes.
- It is necessary to take raw chamomile grass and pass through a meat grinder. The resulting gruel can be applied to the affected areas 3-4 times a day.
- You will need a tablespoon of coltsfoot grass mixed with the same amount of sweet clover flowers. Then the herbs must be steamed in a glass of boiling water and filtered. The resulting infusion cantake 3-4 tablespoons orally several times a day.
Treatment of dropsy at home is permissible only as an addition to the main course of therapy. The complicated course of the disease requires a more serious approach - surgery.
Surgical Options
With the ineffectiveness of conservative therapy and the increase in symptoms of testicular hydrocele, treatment is performed surgically. For this purpose use:
- Hydrocelectomy. In total there are several operational techniques. Among them, the methods proposed by Bergman and Winkelman are the most widely used. During surgery, the doctor makes an incision in the scrotum, after which the hydrocele is removed. To prevent postoperative recurrence, it may be necessary to install a special drainage tube. It is removed after a few days at the next preventive examination.
- Puncture aspiration of fluid. This method of treatment involves the removal of excess fluid through a puncture. Aspiration is not widely used as it has a temporary effect in most cases.
Endoscopic treatment of dropsy has gained universal acceptance. During the operation, the doctor makes several small punctures in the skin, through which he then introduces instruments for surgical manipulations. Endoscopic surgery has several advantages over other therapies. It takes little time, is characterized by the absence of scars on the skin and fastrecovery.
Rehabilitation after surgery
After surgery, young children recover quickly. Pain discomfort is usually absent, if necessary, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed (Paracetamol, Nurofen). At school age, children are exempted from physical education for a month. For younger patients, doctors recommend avoiding active games.
What should adult men pay attention to after surgery? Such patients can take a shower after 48 hours. For some time, you should limit physical activity, do not play sports. For severe pain in the scrotum, you can take Ketoprofen or Ibuprofen.
How dangerous is a hydrocele?
Lack of timely treatment or exposure to certain factors can negatively affect the disease. Why is a testicular hydrocele dangerous? We examined the causes of the pathology a little higher, now it is necessary to talk about its consequences. The most common complications include suppuration and accumulation of blood between the membranes. This condition is usually accompanied by intoxication of the body, the rapid spread of the pathological process to the surrounding tissues. At a more mature age, dropsy is fraught with male infertility and erectile dysfunction. These disorders, unfortunately, are practically untreatable. That is why it is so important to monitor your he alth, and if symptoms of an illness appear, immediately consult a doctor.
Preventiondiseases
What does a testicular hydrocele look like? Photos of the pathology can be viewed in medical reference books. However, many men are more interested in the question of how to avoid its development. First of all, doctors recommend protecting the scrotum from injuries and mechanical damage. When playing sports, you must use special protection. In addition, it is important to engage in the prevention of infectious diseases and acute inflammation, not to neglect the annual medical examination. Stay he althy!
