HomeAnswersUrologyitchy scrotumI have had a swelling recurring on the right testicle for four years. Why?

What are the causes of reoccurring swelling of the right testicle?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Answered by

Dr. Raja Ramesh

Medically reviewed by

iCliniq medical review team

Published At April 4, 2017
Reviewed AtJanuary 18, 2024

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am a 16 year old, I have a reoccurring swollen right testicle since I was about 12 years old. Whenever my right testicle swells up, I feel a tension in my lower abdomen, and it becomes difficult to perform any physical activities. Whenever my testicle is not swollen, it feels as if it is being held up by an extra muscle that flows from my lower abdomen to my testicle area. My left testicle hangs freely, while my right testicle is higher up and feels like it is being held up. When I flex my abdomen, my right testicle goes up by about an inch or so. This swollen testicle occurs a couple of times a month but is completely random with no patterns that I have observed.

About a year ago my right testicle swelled up bigger than it had ever happened before, about three times the size of my left testicle. I went to the hospital that night, and the doctor performed an ultrasound on my testicle. He said that my epididymis was filled with fluid and that it was most likely a hydrocele. He put some pressure of my right testicle(which was swollen at that moment) with his hand, and I began to tear up because it was so painful. But I had no pain before or after he put the pressure. He then checked my left testicle, which was completely fine. He concluded that I had no hernia, they performed nothing on me and just put an ice pack on my testicle and slept. When I woke up my testicle was no longer swollen. About a month or so later I went to a urologist, and she told me nothing other than my issue was going to stop by only waiting. I still have the same issue as before. I have done some research and never found anything about a reoccurring hydrocele. Mostly, I just read about guys who dealt with a swollen testicle and simply got surgery for it, but their hydroceles were not reoccurring. They were permanent. Please help.

Answered by Dr. Raja Ramesh

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

    From your history, the enlarged testicle could be due to only three possibilities which are congenital hydrocele, Epididymo-orchitis, and varicocele. Recurrent nature and spontaneous disappearance are very classical of congenital hydrocele. When you visited hospital last year, was Doppler ultrasonogram of the scrotum done? Or was it just an ultrasonogram? This can help rule out varicocele. Since you complain of pain and dragging sensation in lower abdomen, I would prefer to you do Doppler ultrasonogram of the scrotum. Add as you do not have fever and vomiting, chances of epididymo-orchitis is very minimal. One rare possibility is recurrent torsion testis that gets spontaneously relieved. It can be diagnosed only with Doppler ultrasonogram of the scrotum, during an episode of pain. If all these are ruled out then, I would suggest surgery for congenital hydrocele.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Raja Ramesh
Dr. Raja Ramesh

Urology

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