Related articles: Hydrocele
Definition
Hydrocele is a collection of serous fluid in the scrotum. The accumulation of fluid occurs, in particular, along the spermatic cord or between the two layers of the vaginal tunic that line the testicle. Indeed, between the visceral sheet and the parietal leaflet of this membrane there is a virtual space, normally occupied by a few ml of liquid.
Hydrocele may be present at birth (congenital), due to failure to close the peritoneum-vaginal duct (along which the testicle descends into the scrotum during fetal development).
Acquired hydrocele occurs, instead, as a consequence of inflammation of the epididymis and / or testicle, infections, local cysts or tumors, scrotal traumas or post-operative outcomes for inguinal hernia and varicocele; in these cases, an imbalance is created between the secretion and the reabsorption of the liquid.
Sometimes the disorder is idiopathic and occurs without apparent cause.
Most common symptoms and signs *
- Mass or swelling in the testicle
- Mass or swelling in the groin
- Sense of testicle discomfort
Further indications
Hydrocele manifests itself as a unilateral or bilateral swelling of the scrotum, usually painless. In some cases, the patient reports a sense of weight and local annoyance. Generally, hydrocele does not cause redness.
The diagnosis can be confirmed by the transillumination test (with a torch placed behind the scrotal sac, the hydrocele will let the light shine on the opposite side) and from the scrotal ultrasound.
