What does hydrocele look like in a child?

Parents may find hydrocele in their children concerning, particularly in the early stages. It’s a disorder where a boy’s testicles become noticeably swollen due to fluid accumulation around them. Although many parents may be concerned that something more serious is going on, hydrocele is typically harmless and goes away on its own.

It’s critical to understand the symptoms of hydrocele so that you can identify it. When the child is crying or straining, the swelling may become more apparent and fluctuate in size throughout the day. Although it usually doesn’t hurt, it’s wise to have a medical professional examine it.

You can feel more at ease if you know what hydrocele is and how to identify it. Keeping your child healthy and comfortable starts with knowing what to expect and when to seek medical advice.

What is it?

An accumulation of normal serous fluid in the testicular membrane and scrotum is known as hydrocele. In newborns, pathology affects 15% of cases. Significant visual growth occurs in the scrotum, and this growth is not always bilateral and symmetrical.

The peculiarities of the testicle’s formation are the primary cause of the issue. During the baby’s intrauterine development, everything takes place. The boy’s testicles, which have developed in his abdominal cavity, start to descend to their proper location at 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The peritoneum descends and stretches behind them at the same time, forming the vaginal process. It should normally be covered in connective tissue by the time of birth, but this isn’t always the case. The scrotal-peritoneum canal remains open, allowing physiological fluid to pass through and enter the testicle membranes if the overgrowth is slowing down or if the baby was born before the expected obstetric term.

In newborns, acquired hydrocele is uncommon. When hydrocele occurs in male infants, it is usually physiological in nature, meaning that more fluid is produced than is required to allow the testicle to move freely inside the scrotum. Acquired hydrocele is linked to tumors in the scrotum, inflammation of the testicles, and frequently occurs in conjunction with a state of insufficient blood flow to the heart.

Visual signs of the disease

Even though the child’s scrotum appears enlarged, hydrocele does not hurt. Therefore, an infant’s genital appearance might raise suspicions about such a delicate issue. A child’s scrotum is typically smaller in comparison to an adult man’s, has a normal color, and lacks visible veins and protruding vessels.

When hydrocele occurs, the scrotum appears enlarged and swollen, and tense veins and vessels can be seen. The skin’s normal color changes to a slight blue hue. The scrotum itself has a smooth surface, but during the day, the swollen area has a faint glossy sheen. To the touch, hydrocele feels elastic and dense. Touching it doesn’t hurt the child, so there’s no reason to be afraid of it.

If desired, the skin of the scrotum can be freely folded into a fold. It is very difficult to palpate the testicle itself, with large hydrocele, this cannot be done in principle. With small hydrocele, the testicle will be palpable at the very bottom of the edematous area. If you take a small flashlight and shine it from below the scrotum, the light will penetrate the entire area of ​​​​edema. The stronger the hydrocele, the better the rays of light pass through. It should be noted that the scrotum sizes will not always look the same. If the vaginal process of the peritoneum, which has not healed in time, provides free communication with the abdominal cavity, then the fluid from the hydrocele can penetrate back through it into the peritoneum, and then the swelling will be much less. Then the increase in the size of the scrotum returns.

If the scrotum does not change its size to a smaller side, it remains stably enlarged or slowly grows in size, an isolated form of hydrocele can be suspected, in which there is no communication with the abdominal cavity, and the accumulated physiological serous fluid has no way to exit. A small and gradual increase in the size of the hydrocele indicates that the hydrocele is associated with an imbalance in the fluid produced for the natural lubrication of the testicle and its consumption. If the dropsy is large, which is difficult not to recognize, the child may experience some difficulty urinating. Parents may notice that the baby begins to worry before emptying the bladder. In most cases, dropsy can be identified in the coming days after the birth of a boy. Less often, it manifests itself in the first weeks, usually up to 2 months of independent life.

When a child has an inguinal hernia, the scrotum may also enlarge. Differentiating between a hernia and dropsy is fairly simple. Applying gentle pressure can help reduce a hernia. This is not how hydrocele usually occurs. Since the fluid will start to move into the abdominal cavity in a communicating form of the disease, the scrotal swelling will gradually start to go down. There won’t be any decrease with an isolated form.

Since the swelling of the scrotum, which is linked to hormonal changes in the body, looks nearly identical, it is too early to raise the alarm if the parents of a baby who is not yet two weeks old suspect dropsy. The effects of the mother’s hormones are no longer felt by the infant, and the swelling in question is unrelated to hydrocele or any other illnesses or pathological conditions.

It’s critical to act swiftly if you see any swelling in your child’s scrotum. Although hydrocele may appear worrisome, it is usually benign and often resolves on its own as the body matures.

Nevertheless, routine medical checkups with your physician can guarantee that the illness is being appropriately managed. Medical intervention may be necessary in certain cases to avoid discomfort or complications.

Knowing what hydrocele looks like and when to get help will help you as a parent feel more at ease and keep your child healthy.

A child with hydrocele appears as a gentle, painless enlargement in the region surrounding the testicles, known as the scrotum. It is frequently filled with a clear fluid and may stand out more in the evening or following physical exertion. Though it may seem alarming, it’s usually benign and goes away without intervention. To be sure it’s not an indication of something more serious, parents should still see a doctor.

Video on the topic

Hydrocele.

Hydrocele of the testicles in a boy. – Advice from a pediatric urologist.

Hydrocele of the testicle in children

Hydrocele, treatment?

HYDROCELE. HYDRCELE OF THE TESTICLE. WHY IT ARISES. WHAT TO DO.

Hydrocele of the membranes of the testicles in children

Hydrocele in boys, recommendations from a surgeon

Hydrocele of the testicle in a child // What to do?