Introduction
In most cases of testicular swelling, a unilateral enlargement of a testis occurs, which can be accompanied by pain or no pain at all. Since there are many different causes for swelling of one or both testicles, a quick diagnosis is useful in order to be able to initiate a suitable therapy.
Causes
The causes of testicular swelling can be very diverse. A testicular swelling is a symptom that occurs due to an illness. In most cases, diseases from the urological field are a trigger.
A possible cause is a twisting of the testis, the testicular torsion. The torsion causes the spermatic cord to twist and the blood supply to the testicle is stopped. A quick emergency treatment should be carried out, because strong pain is caused and the affected testicle can die within a relatively short time.
A testicular swelling can also occur in the context of an inflammation of the epididymis. Bacteria and viruses that enter the body via the urethra and spread via the spermatic cord to the epididymis can settle there and cause infections. Inflammation of the testicles causes severe pain, fever, a general feeling of exhaustion and a red coloration of the scrotum as well as swelling of the testicles.
In addition to infections of the urinary tract, infections such as mumps, chickenpox or Pfeiffer’s glandular fever are often a cause of testicular inflammation. As a result of traumatic events, such as an accident, a very painful swelling of the testicle can also occur. Swelling of the testicles that is painless is relatively rare.
This can be caused by a cyst of the epididymis, a tumorous change, a water accumulation or even an inguinal hernia. A swelling of the testis can also be caused by a varicose vein in the testis. In this case, due to the disturbed blood return in the testicular veins, blood accumulation in the testicle occurs, which leads to an increase in testicular size.
In addition to infections of the urinary tract, infections such as mumps, chickenpox or Pfeiffer’s glandular fever are often a cause of testicular inflammation. As a result of traumatic events, such as an accident, a very painful swelling of the testicle can also occur. Swelling of the testicles that is painless is relatively rare.
This can be caused by a cyst of the epididymis, a tumorous change, water retention or even an inguinal hernia. A swelling of the testis can also be caused by a varicose vein in the testis. In this case, due to the disturbed blood return in the testicular veins, blood accumulation in the testicle occurs, which leads to an increase in testicular size.
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