BENIGN CAUSES OF TESTICULAR PAIN

Hydrocele

A hydrocele feels like a small fluid-filled balloon inside the scrotum. It is smooth and is mainly in front of the testis. Hydroceles vary greatly in size. Hydroceles are normally painless and harmless. Large hydroceles cause discomfort because of their size. The fluid of a hydrocele is transparent, and when a light is shone through a hydrocelic region, it will be visible from the other side. This phenomenon is called transillumination.

Symptoms of a hydrocele can easily be distinguished from testicular cancer, as a hydrocele is soft and fluidy, where a testicular cancer feels hard and rough.

Through a diagnostic ultrasound, the accumulation of fluids can be diagnosed correctly.

 

Varicocele

Varicocele is an abnormal enlargement of the pampiniform venous plexus in the scrotum. This plexus of veins drains the testicles. The testicular blood vessels originate in the abdomen and course down through the inguinal canal as part of the spermatic cord on their way to the testis. Upward flow of blood in the veins is ensured by small one-way valves that prevent backflow. Defective valves, or compression of the vein by a nearby structure, can cause dilatation of the testicular veins near the testis, leading to the formation of a varicocele.

Varicocele can be harmless, but in many cases it can cause infertility and pain. Although there are studies showing improvement in sperm quality in 57% of cases, there are also studies showing that the regular surgery has no significant effect on infertility. Thus the surgery may not improve fertility and the patient will need to undergo a noninvasive treatment.

Symptoms of a varicocele may include:

  • Dragging-like or aching pain within scrotum.

  • Feeling of heaviness in the testicle(s)

  • Atrophy (shrinking) of the testicle(s)

  • Low testosterone.

  • Visible or palpable (able to be felt) enlarged vein

Spermatocele

Spermatoceles can be discovered as incidental scrotal masses found during a physical examination by a physician. They may also be discovered by self-inspection of the scrotum and testicles.

Finding a painless, cystic mass at the head of the epididymis that transilluminates and can be clearly differentiated from the testicle is generally sufficient. If uncertainty exists, ultrasonography of the scrotum can confirm if it is a spermatocele.

If an individual finds what they suspect to be a spermatocele, they are advised to consult a urologist.

Epididymitis

Epididymitis is a medical condition characterized by discomfort or pain in the epididymis, a curved structure at the back of the testicle in which sperm matures and is stored. Epididymitis is usually characterized as either acute or chronic; if acute, the onset of testicular pain is often felt quickly and accompanied by inflammation, redness, and warmth in the scrotum; if chronic, pain is usually duller and develops slowly which can be a long-term problem. In either form, testicular pain in one or both testes can vary from mild to severe, and one or both epididymides may noticeably swell and/ or harden. The pain is often cyclical and could last from less than an hour to several days.