In modern medical practice, a disease such as dropsy of the testicle in men is often recorded. Treatment without surgery is possible, but only in some cases. Sometimes surgery is simply necessary.
Naturally, patients faced with a similar diagnosis are interested in any additional information. What is an ailment? Why does testicular dropsy develop in men? Symptoms, treatment, surgery and rehabilitation period are all important points that should in no case be ignored.
What is a pathology? brief information
What are the symptoms of hydrocele in men? What it is? Causes, signs, possible complications are, without a doubt, important issues. But first, it’s worth sorting out the basic data.
Dropsy of the testicle (the term “hydrocele” is often used in medicine to describe an ailment) is a pathology that is accompanied by an accumulation of excess fluid between the visceral and parietal leaves of the testicle.
It is worth noting that this ailment can develop in different periods of a man’s life. For example, congenital forms of hydrocele are often diagnosed using ultrasound during intrauterine development. In such cases, the pathology, as a rule, is associated with improper prolapse of the testicle and other disorders in the anatomical development.
In boys, edema is often caused by sharp changes in the hormonal background, which happens, for example, during puberty. In adult men, testicular dropsy develops, as a rule, as a result of inflammatory processes. Of course, these forms of the disease are acquired.
The main reasons for the development of a congenital form of hydrocele
As already mentioned, quite often this pathology is congenital. The reasons for it may lie in the following:
- during intrauterine development, the testicle descends into the scrotum, but the lumen of the vaginal process remains open;
- if the vaginal process remains connected with the abdominal cavity, then the fluid continues to circulate along this channel, accumulating between the leaves of the testicle;
- violation of the normal development of the lymphatic system in the inguinal region can also lead to fluid accumulation.
Acquired dropsy: causes
If we are talking about the formation of testicular edema in adulthood, then the list of reasons looks completely different:
- testicular torsion;
- violation of the normal outflow of lymph from the scrotum;
- injuries of the scrotum, genitals and perineum;
- inflammatory diseases of the scrotum, including those caused by sexually transmitted infections (according to statistics, quite often the cause of dropsy in adult patients is chlamydia).
It is also worth noting that during the diagnosis it is extremely important to determine not only the presence of edema and its severity, but also the causes of the appearance - the success of treatment directly depends on this.
The acute form of dropsy and its symptoms
What is dropsy of the testis (hydrocele) in men? Causes, treatment, possible complications - this is important information, but first you need to study the symptoms. The fact is that the sooner the patient seeks help, the easier the therapy process will go.
The clinical picture in the acute form of hydrocele is largely reminiscent of the symptoms of inflammatory diseases. Patients often complain of severe weakness, body aches, and fever. The volume of the scrotum increases sharply, and with palpation the testicle itself usually cannot be felt. Some men complain of severe pain. The scrotum is rather dense to the touch. The skin on this becomes smooth and often acquires a reddish tint.
Features of the clinical picture in the chronic form of the disease
If we talk about the chronic form of the disease, then the symptoms in this case are not so pronounced. The scrotum increases in size, but there is no fever and other symptoms of intoxication. Patients complain of pulling pains. Discomfort can also occur during walking, intercourse, and urination.
This form of the disease is very dangerous. In the absence of treatment, the skin on the penis and scrotum gradually changes, which is associated with the onset of maceration. If the disease is started, it is possible to retract the penis under the stretched skin of the scrotum.
What complications can the disease lead to?
Many men ask whether hydrocele affects reproductive function. Dropsy of the testicle practically does not affect the quality and quantity of sperm produced. Nevertheless, the disease can cause dangerous complications. Edema, which is constantly increasing in size, can lead to vascular compression. Violation of trophism sometimes leads to testicular atrophy.
Dropsy can be accompanied by a hematocele - in this case, not only liquid but also blood accumulates between the sheets of the testicle shell . Typically, this complication is associated with a direct injury to the scrotum. Among the complications include piocele - an accumulation of purulent masses with the further spread of the inflammatory process.
Dropsy drop is a complication that is rarely recorded in medical practice. Sometimes, against the background of the inflammatory process, small mineral formations (stones) begin to form between the shells of the testicle.
Drug treatment: how effective is it?
Many men ask whether it is possible to treat testicular hydrocele without surgery. As practice and statistics testify, quite often you can get rid of edema by eliminating the cause. Of course, first a thorough diagnosis is required, which necessarily includes ultrasound, blood and urine tests, as well as some additional instrumental procedures (for example, puncture of edema).
In the event that dropsy is provoked by an infection or is accompanied by the formation of purulent masses, the use of antibiotics is mandatory. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will help relieve inflammation. In some cases, it is advisable to take drugs that improve blood flow and normalize lymph outflow.
Dropsy puncture
In some cases, medications are not able to cope with the disease, especially when it comes to idiopathic forms of the disease, when the cause is not known exactly. And sometimes doctors prescribe a hydrocele puncture.
This is a fairly simple and quick procedure, which is performed under local anesthesia. Using a syringe and special equipment, the doctor makes a puncture, and then removes the accumulated fluid.
By the way, this procedure is also diagnostic in nature - the resulting fluid is carefully examined in the laboratory, the presence of blood elements, purulent masses, bacterial microorganisms is determined in it.
It should immediately be said that in most cases, puncture gives only a temporary effect, since the liquid begins to accumulate again. This procedure is carried out as an emergency measure.
Sclerosis
Sometimes the puncture does not help to cope with a disease such as dropsy of the testicle in men. How to cure a disease? There is another minimally invasive method, namely sclerosis. By the way, this is a modern procedure that is popular in Europe. During the operation, the doctor first removes the accumulated fluid, and then introduces a special substance, sclerosant, which reduces the amount of fluid produced in the testicles.
This procedure, as a rule, is prescribed for elderly people, as well as patients who, for whatever reasons, are absolutely contraindicated in full surgery or general anesthesia.
Folk remedies: effective recipes
Is it possible to treat dropsy of the testicle with folk remedies? Alternative medicine offers several recipes. For example, to relieve swelling on the scrotum, you need to apply a compress prepared from a decoction of herb repeska (pour 100 g of dry grass with a liter of natural wine and bring to a boil).
For compresses in the acute form of the disease, you can use a decoction of medicinal chamomile, as this plant has pronounced anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, some folk healers also use shredded fresh grass of non-lingual chamomile.
Inside, it is useful to take decoctions of sweet clover and coltsfoot. It should be understood that only a doctor can resolve such events with a disease such as dropsy of the testicle in men. Treatment without surgery is possible only in some cases, and alternative medicines are used, as a rule, only as adjuvants.
Features of surgical intervention
What to do if a dropsy is diagnosed in a man? Unfortunately, treatment without surgery is not always possible. Moreover, far from every case, medication or minimally invasive procedures provide the desired effect.
To date, there are many methods that allow you to get rid of a hydrocele surgically.
If there is open dropsy (fluid circulation is observed between the testes and the abdominal cavity), then Ross is performed. During the procedure, the doctor carefully removes the peritoneal process from the spermatic cord.
There is another procedure that is often used to eliminate a pathology such as dropsy of the testicle in men. An effective treatment for an isolated form of hydrocele is to partially remove the inner shells of the testicle and, accordingly, the accumulated fluid.
Immediately it is worth saying that the decision about which procedure will be carried out is made by the attending physician, since this depends on many factors, in particular the cause of the appearance of edema. Surgical intervention is rarely accompanied by any complications or relapses - the technique in such operations is quite simple. Some procedures are even performed under local anesthesia.
As a rule, rehabilitation is quick. Within 10 days, the sutures resolve, and drainage (if any) is removed. The patient may return to a normal, familiar lifestyle. Nevertheless, for 1-2 months, doctors recommend that men avoid heavy physical exertion and sexual intercourse.
Preventive measures and forecasts
In modern medical practice, a disease such as dropsy of the testicle in men is often recorded. Treatment without surgery is not always effective, and surgical intervention is associated with some difficulties. Sometimes it is much easier to prevent the development of the disease.
There is no specific prophylactic drug. Nevertheless, doctors recommend that men avoid any groin injuries (use protective pads while playing sports, wear fairly spacious underwear made from soft, natural fabrics). All inflammatory and infectious diseases of the genital organs (especially when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases) need to be treated on time. If any violations occur, consult a doctor. It is these rules that should be followed if there is a risk of developing a disease such as dropsy of the testicle in men. Treatment with folk remedies (for example, compresses, sedentary baths, fortifying decoctions), by the way, is sometimes used for prevention.
Forecasts for patients are positive. In almost every individual case, using the right treatment, you can achieve a complete recovery of the body. Relapses do occur, however, not so often.