What is a hydrocele?
Hydrocele is the type of scrotal swelling that occurs when fluid collects in the thin sheath 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.
How common are hydroceles?
In hydroceles, the sac around the testis gets filled with fluid. Due to this fluid accumulation, the scrotum gets swollen and appears enlarged. Hydroceles are very common in baby boys. It is estimated that 1 out of every 10 baby boys have the condition of hydroceles.
Can a hydrocele in an adult be cured?
Hydrocele in Adults. A hydrocele is a collection of fluid in the scrotum. Most develop for no apparent reason, are harmless and can be left alone. If needed, a small operation can usually cure the problem. In a small number of cases, a hydrocele is due to an underlying problem with a testicle (testis).
What are the symptoms of a hydrocele?
Hydrocele 1 Overview. A hydrocele (HI-droe-seel) is a type of swelling in the scrotum that occurs when fluid collects in the thin sheath surrounding a testicle. 2 Symptoms. Usually, the only indication of a hydrocele is a painless swelling of one or both testicles. ... 3 Causes. ... 4 Risk factors. ... 5 Complications. ...
Is hydrocele a serious problem?
A hydrocele typically isn't dangerous and usually doesn't affect fertility. But a hydrocele might be associated with an underlying testicular condition that can cause serious complications, including: Infection or tumor. Either might reduce sperm production or function.
What is the main cause of hydrocele?
During a baby's development in the womb, the testicles descend from the abdomen through a tube into the scrotum. Hydroceles occur when this tube does not close. Fluid drains from the abdomen through the open tube and gets trapped in the scrotum. This causes the scrotum to swell.
What happens if hydrocele left untreated?
If a communicating hydrocele does not go away on its own and is not treated, it can lead to an inguinal hernia. In this condition, part of the intestine or intestinal fat pushes through an opening (inguinal canal) in the groin area.
Should I be worried about hydrocele?
Are hydroceles dangerous? Hydroceles are not harmful to the testicles in any way and they don't cause your son any pain. Sometimes, however, if the sac remains open, a loop of intestine can be pushed through the opening creating a hernia.
Is hydrocele cancerous?
They're usually harmless and rarely need to be treated. Hydroceles are often diagnosed with an ultrasound exam of the testicle and scrotum. In varicocele (VAR-ih-ko-seel), the veins within the scrotum get very large (dilate).
What is best treatment for hydrocele?
A hydrocele that doesn't disappear on its own might need to be surgically removed, typically as an outpatient procedure. The surgery to remove a hydrocele (hydrocelectomy) can be done under general or regional anesthesia. An incision is made in the scrotum or lower abdomen to remove the hydrocele.
How can I fix my hydrocele without surgery?
There are no medications available to treat a hydrocele. A hydrocele usually does not need to be surgically repaired. A hydrocele typically goes away on its own within six to 12 months of age. If the hydrocele does not resolve on its own, then it needs to be surgically repaired to prevent further complications.
When does a hydrocele need surgery?
The hydroceles often go away on their own. If a hydrocele appears after 12 months of age, a hydrocelectomy is usually necessary.
Is hydrocele surgery painful?
This surgery was done to remove the fluid and to stop the buildup of fluid in the scrotum. After your surgery, you may feel more tired than usual and have some mild groin pain for several days. Your groin and scrotum may be swollen or bruised. This usually gets better in 2 to 3 weeks.
Can a hydrocele burst?
Rupture of a hydrocele is a rare occurrence. A literature search through various databases came up with only four documented accounts of a ruptured hydrocele in the past 50 years. 1, 2, 3, 4 In these accounts, the cause of rupture was either by trauma or spontaneous rupture during sleep.
Does hydrocele cause erectile dysfunction?
Though hydrocele typically presents as a painless mass, it can lead to psychological complications responsible for sexual dysfunction and infertility.
What does a hydrocele look like?
What do hydroceles look and feel like? A hydrocele feels like a small fluid-filled balloon inside your scrotum. It feels smooth and is mainly in front of one of your testicles (testes). Hydroceles vary greatly in size.
What is best treatment for hydrocele at home?
Our diet directly impacts our health and while suffering from hydrocele, a diet rich in fruits can provide significant relief to the swollen area. Incorporating fruits like oranges, apples, pineapples, grapes and peaches may help in easing the dilated scrotum.
How can I fix my hydrocele without surgery?
Another option for hydrocele treatment is to drain it with a long needle. The needle is inserted into the sac to draw out the fluid. In some cases, a drug may be injected to prevent the sac from filling again. Needle aspiration is commonly performed on those who are at high risk for complications during surgery.
What causes a man's balls to swell?
Swollen testicles (also known as scrotal swelling) can be a sign of a variety of things, including injury, infection or a testicular tumor. If you have swollen testicles, they appear larger and may be red or shiny. You may notice a lump, but you may also have swelling with no lump.
Can hydrocele be cured naturally?
Q3. Can hydrocele be cured naturally? Ans: Hydrocele in infants may heal naturally without any treatment, but in any case, one must consult a doctor for this condition. It is also important to address the cause of swelling and prevent any other complications by prompt treatment.
What is a hydrocele?
Hydrocele. A hydrocele is when fluid fills a male’s scrotum, causing it to swell. It is not a major health issue but it can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. Hydroceles are more common in male infants than adults, and there are treatments to solve the problem. Urology 216.444.5600.
What are the two types of hydrocele?
There are two: communicating hydrocele and non-communicating hydrocele.
How many men have hydrocele?
About 10% of newborn male infants have a hydrocele, which often clears up without any particular treatment within the first year of life. Hydroceles occur in only about 1% of adult men, and will often disappear on their own.
Is hydrocele surgery positive?
The outcome for a hydrocele is generally positive . Cases that need surgery have a high success rate.
Can hydrocele be treated with medication?
There are no medications available to treat a hydrocele.
Can hydroceles cause swelling?
For example, if taking part in contact sports, use an athletic cup. Although hydroceles are usually not a major health issue, you should tell your healthcare provider about any abnormality or swelling in the scrotum. Another disease or condition may be causing or mimicking the abnormality.
What is a hydrocele?
A hydrocele is a sac filled with fluid that forms around a testicle. Hydroceles are most common in babies. Nearly 10 percent of males are born with a hydrocele. However, they can affect males of any age. Hydroceles generally don’t pose any threat to the testicles.
How to drain hydrocele?
Another option for hydrocele treatment is to drain it with a long needle. The needle is inserted into the sac to draw out the fluid. In some cases, a drug may be injected to prevent the sac from filling again. Needle aspiration is commonly performed on men who are at high risk for complications during surgery.
How long does it take for a hydrocele to be absorbed?
The remaining fluid is typically absorbed into the body within a year.
How long does it take to go home after hydrocele surgery?
In most cases, you’ll be able to go home within a few hours of the surgery. A small cut is made in the abdomen or scrotum (depending on the location of the hydrocele) and the hydrocele is surgically removed. Your surgeon will most likely apply a large dressing to the site of your incision.
Do hydroceles hurt?
Hydroceles usually don’t cause any pain. Usually, the only symptom is a swollen scrotum. In adult men, there may be a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum. In some cases, the swelling might be worse in the morning than in the evening. It is not usually very painful.
Can a baby have a hydrocele?
Normally, this sac closes itself and the body absorbs the fluid inside during the baby’s first year. However, this doesn’t happen for babies with a hydrocele. Babies born prematurely are at a higher risk for hydrocele, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hydroceles can also form later in life, mostly in men over 40.
Can hydroceles cause testicle swelling?
Hydroceles generally don’t pose any threat to the testicles. They’re usually painless and disappear without treatment. However, if you have scrotal swelling, see your doctor to rule out other causes that are more harmful such as testicular cancer.
How to remove hydrocele?
An incision is made in the scrotum or lower abdomen to remove the hydrocele . If a hydrocele is found during surgery to repair an inguinal hernia, the surgeon might remove the hydrocele even if it's causing no discomfort. After hydrocelectomy, you might need a tube to drain fluid and a bulky dressing for a few days.
What to do after hydrocele?
After hydrocelectomy, you might need a tube to drain fluid and a bulky dressing for a few days . Your doctor is likely to recommend a follow-up exam because a hydrocele might recur.
Can a hydrocele disappear on its own?
But for males of any age, it's important for a doctor to evaluate a hydrocele because it can be associated with an underlying testicular condition. A hydrocele that doesn't disappear on its own might need to be surgically removed, typically as an outpatient procedure.
What is a hydrocele?
A hydrocele is a collection of peritoneal fluid between the parietal and visceral layers of the tunica vaginalis, which directly surrounds the testis and spermatic cord. Hydroceles arise from an imbalance of secretion and reabsorption of fluid from the tunica vaginalis. This activity illustrates the evaluation and management of hydrocele and highlights the role of the interprofessional team in evaluating and treating patients with this condition.
What is the prognosis of adult onset hydrocele?
The prognosis of the adult-onset hydrocele is mainly dependent on the underlying cause. For instance, filarial hydrocele's prognosis depends on its size and the severity of lymphatic obstruction.
How early can a hydrocele resolve?
Congenital hydroceles mostly resolve before two years of age. Therefore, parents of such patients should be properly counseled to curb their anxiety. In this regard, providers and nursing staff play a vital role. If hydrocele develops later in life, underlying pathology must be identified as its prognosis is dependent on it. For this purpose, coordination among radiologists, pathologists, and surgeons is vital for better patient outcomes. The nursing staff is also a significant segment of the interprofessional group as they assist in educating the patient and family members regarding the disease. This type of interprofessional collaboration is the key to achieving optimal patient outcomes in the case of hydroceles.
What are the risk factors for hydrocele?
Risk factors of hydrocele include breech presentation, low birth weight, and gestational progestin use.
What is the difference between a primary and secondary hydrocele?
As it is painless, it acquires a prodigious size before the patient seeks medical attention. In contrast, the secondary hydrocele is generally smaller , with the exception of filarial hydrocele.
What is secondary hydrocele?
Secondary Hydrocele: This usually occurs as a result of an underlying condition, such as infection (filariasis, tuberculosis of the epididymis, syphilis), injury (trauma, post-herniorrhaphy hydrocele), or malignancy. This type of hydrocele tends to be small, with the exception of secondary hydrocele due to filariasis, which can be very large.
Is a congenital hydrocele good?
The prognosis of the congenital hydrocele is excellent, while that of the adult-onset hydrocele depends on the underlying cause.
What is a hydrocele?
A hydrocele is a collection of fluid in a sac in your scrotum next to a testicle (testis). It usually occurs on one side but sometimes a hydrocele forms over both testicles (testes).
What are the treatments for hydrocele?
In adults, if the hydrocele causes no symptoms, one option is simply to leave it alone. You can use a support to be more comfortable . If it becomes larger or troublesome, you can always change your mind and have treatment.
What do hydroceles look and feel like?
A hydrocele feels like a small fluid-filled balloon inside your scrotum. It feels smooth and is mainly in front of one of your testicles (testes).
What causes hydroceles?
Most hydroceles occur in adults and are most common in men aged over 40 years.
How often should you drain hydrocele fluid?
However, following this procedure, it is common for the sac of the hydrocele to refill with fluid within a few months. Draining every now and then may be suitable though, if you are not fit for surgery or if you do not want an operation.
Why does the testis have a small amount of fluid?
Excess fluid normally drains away into the veins in your scrotum. If the balance is altered between the amount of fluid that is made and the amount that is drained, some fluid accumulates as a hydrocele.
Why do hydroceles hurt?
It might have been getting larger over a number of years. Hydroceles are normally painless. Large hydroceles may cause discomfort because of their size. Walking or sexual activity may become uncomfortable if you have a very large hydrocele.
What is a hydrocele?
A hydrocele is an accumulation of serous fluid in a body cavity. A hydrocele testis is the accumulation of fluids around a testicle. It is often caused by peritoneum wrapped around the testicle, called the tunica vaginalis. Provided there is no hernia present, it goes away without treatment in the first year.
What causes hydrocele?
A hydrocele can also be the result of a plugged inguinal lymphatic system caused by repeated, chronic infection of Wuchereria bancrofti or Brugia malayi, two mosquito -borne parasites of Africa and Southeast Asia, respectively .
What is secondary hydrocele?
Secondary hydrocele is most frequently associated with acute or chronic epididymo-orchitis. It is also seen with torsion of the testis and with some testicular tumors. A secondary hydrocele is usually lax and of moderate size: the underlying testis is palpable.
How to treat hydroceles?
Hydroceles that persist after the first year or occur later in life require treatment only in selected cases, such as patients who are symptomatic with pain or a pressure sensation, or when the scrotal skin integrity is compromised from chronic irritation; the treatment of choice is surgery and the operation is conducted via an open access technique aiming to excise the hydrocele sac. Anesthesia is required for the operation and general anesthesia is of choice in children, while spinal anesthesia is usually sufficient in adults. Local infiltration anesthesia is not satisfactory because it cannot abolish abdominal pain due to traction on the spermatic cord. In long standing cases, hydrocele fluid may be opalescent with cholesterol and may contain crystals of tyrosine.
How to tell if a hydrocele is a tumor?
A common method of diagnosing a hydrocele is by attempting to shine a strong light (transillumination) through the enlarged scrotum. A hydrocele will usually pass light, while a tumor will not (except in the case of a malignancy with reactive hydrocele).
Why is postherniorrhaphy hydrocele rare?
It is possibly due to interruption to the lymphatics draining the scrotal contents.
What are the complications of hydrocele?
Among the complications of hydrocele are: Rupture usually occurs as a result of trauma but may be spontaneous. On rare occasions cure results after the fluid has been absorbed. Transformation into a haematocele occurs if there is spontaneous bleeding into the sac or as a result of trauma.
What are the complications of hydrocele?
A hydrocele is a troublesome condition in males. In hydroceles, the sac around the testis gets filled with fluid. Due to this fluid accumulation, the scrotum gets swollen and appears enlarged. Hydroceles are very common in baby boys. It is estimated that 1 out of every 10 baby boys have the condition of hydroceles.
Why do hydroceles develop?
The major causes of hydrocele development in adults include injury, inflammation, tumors, blockage of the spermatic cord, infections, etc.
What is the best treatment for hydrocele?
If you are experiencing the troubles of hydrocele and are looking for an effective treatment to prevent its complications, Laser Hydrocelectomy is the best choice available.
How common are hydroceles in boys?
Hydroceles are very common in baby boys. It is estimated that 1 out of every 10 baby boys have the condition of hydroceles. In infants, hydroceles develop as a result of some abnormality in the development of the scrotal region. Mostly, the hydrocele goes away on its own within 12-18 months after birth.
What is laser hydrocele?
Laser Hydrocelectomy is a permanent treatment for hydroceles. The procedure makes use of a high-intensity laser beam for the drainage of the fluid. The hydrocele sac is also removed to prevent the recurrence of hydrocele. Laser Hydrocelectomy inflicts no pain and the recovery after the procedure is fast.
What is a pyocele?
Infections and Pyocele. If the fluid present in the scrotum gets infected, Pyocele can occur. Pyoceles are characterized by the accumulation of purulent fluids in the scrotum. Pyocele is a complication of a hydrocele that needs emergency treatment otherwise permanent damage can occur.
What happens if you have a hematocele?
Any injury or trauma to the scrotal region can lead to spontaneous bleeding into the sac. Due to this, a hematocele (swelling due to a blood-filled cavity) may be formed. If the hematocele is not drained, clotting may occur. This complication of a hydrocele can get really severe and needs proper medical attention.
