HYDROCELE

HYDROCELE 

Hydrocele is a medical condition in which there is an accumulation of fluid inside the innermost layers of testicle/testicles, called tunica vaginalis, causing it to swell abnormally.

The condition may be caused by direct trauma to the testicles, or may have no exact cause at all or may be a part of a birth anomaly.

Hydrocele may be classified to two categories namely:

1)      Direct/ Communicating: In which the innermost layer called tunica vaginalis is in direct contact with the omentum or the outermost layer of the abdomen causing the omental fluid already present in the omentum of the abdomen to drain in this layer of the testis causing it to accumulate in the fluid.

2)      Indirect/Non communicating: In which there is no such continuation and relation between testicles and abdomen.

Symtoms:

1)      Swelling of the affected testicle associated with or even without pain.

2)      Many a times, the condition has to be diagnosed properly by a physician or a surgeon in order to distinguish from a similar condition called scrotal hernia. While examining the area, the physician has to check whether he can reach the top of the swelling, or not, by placing his two fingers behind the scrotum and the thumb on the front and gradually progressing upwards towards the abdomen. If he reaches the end of the swelling, it is diagnosed as hydrocele and if the end is not felt by his fingers, it may indicate a scrotal hernia.

Diagnosis:

                Usually, a clinical examination may suffice a diagnosis. However, a Sonography of the scrotal area may reveal the exact cause of the swelling alongwith the approx. amount of fluid in the testicles.

Treatment:

                Surgical interventions may be required in advanced cases of hydrocele. However, homoeopathy even helps in cases of not only hydrocele, but also varicolcele and cryptorchidism or undescended testicles.