Anomalies and malformations

The hydrocele is a painless accumulation of fluid in the area of the scrotum. Reasons for the formation of a hydrocele can be a previous inflammation, an edematous cause, a severe injury to the testicles or an insufficient fusion of individual components of the scrotum. Hydrocele can occur at any age and is diagnosed with the help of an ultrasound device or fluoroscopy of the testicle.

If this phenomenon occurs within the first year, the hydrocele may still recede, so it is advisable to wait and observe first. However, as patients get older, surgical opening of the fluid-filled bladder is the only logical treatment option. You can find detailed information here: Water in the testicleA varicocele is a dilatation of the ball of blood vessels in the testicular area.

This is usually caused by a blood outflow disturbance in the small pelvis. As a result, there is also a swelling of the scrotum. Depending on the extent of the swelling, the initially painless increase in size can turn into a painful enlargement.

Since varicocele is more a symptom of a blood outflow disorder than an independent disease, the outflow obstruction must be removed, which automatically causes the dilatation of the blood vessels of the testis to recede. If varicocele is not treated, fertility problems can occur as complications. The testis is located outside the abdominal cavity and the temperature is therefore 1-2°C lower.

At this temperature sperm can be produced. However, the flow disturbance causes an increase in temperature, which endangers sperm production. A spermatocele is an enlargement of the testicles.

Unlike the hydrocele, however, this enlargement is not filled with fluid but with sperm. The spermatocele is caused by a flow disorder of the spermatic duct from the epididymis to the seminal vesicle. A constriction in this way causes a “sperm congestion”, which results in the formation of a bladder in which the sperm accumulate.

The diagnosis can be made by means of an ultrasound examination and the patient’s typical information about his or her symptoms.If the spermatocele does not cause any symptoms, it does not have to be treated by force. However, if it develops into a painful swelling, surgical removal is the method of choice. However, the operation leads to infertility of the affected testicle.

Testicular retention is an incomplete descending of the testicles into the scrotum. During the time in the womb the testicles are still in the abdomen of the boys and find their final place only with birth. The cause of the incomplete descent is in most cases caused by a lack of male hormones.

The children’s testicles have to be checked during pediatric check-ups. If there are any abnormalities, the further descent of the testicles can initially be induced by medication. If this measure is not successful, the testicle is surgically fixed to the bottom of the scrotum.

The pendulum testis is pulled into the inguinal canal when the testicle lifter is tensed. However, when relaxed, it can easily be pushed back into the scrotum so that no treatment is necessary. This topic may also be of interest to you: HerniaWhen the testicle is missing on one side, this is called a monorchie.

The absence of a testicle can be attributed to the fact that one of the testicles dies already in the womb, for example by a rotation. In children with only one testicle, this testicle grows compensatory. If the testicle is missing, testicular implants can be inserted. These fill the scrotum, make the testicle appear full and are not visible from the outside. An additional testicle can be caused by an accidental division of the gonads before the eighth week of pregnancy.