Swollen Testicles

What causes the scrotum to swell?

Scrotal swelling is an enlargement of the scrotal sac, or scrotum, which houses the testicles. It can be caused by injury, an underlying medical condition, a buildup of fluid, inflammation, or an abnormal growth within the scrotum. The swelling may be painless or very painful. Scrotal swelling can happen rapidly or slowly over time. One of the main causes of painful scrotal swelling is testicular torsion. This is an injury or an event that causes a testicle in the scrotal sac to twist and cut off blood circulation. This very painful injury could cause tissue death to the scrotum in a matter of hours.

Medical conditions and diseases can also cause the scrotum to swell. These conditions include:

• Trauma
• Testicular cancer
• Abnormally enlarged veins in the scrotum
• Acute inflammation of the testes, called orchitis
• Swelling due to increased fluid, called hydrocele
• Hernia
• Inflammation or infection in the epididymis, called epididymitis
• Congestive heart failure
• Inflammation or infection of the scrotal skin

Other symptoms related to these conditions may be present before scrotal swelling.

How would you know the cause of the swelling?

Additional symptoms that may be experienced alongside scrotal swelling include a lump in the testicle and pain in testicles or scrotum. A doctor will examine you and the swelling and perform a scrotal ultrasound to view the inside of the swelling. Other blood tests including an STI panel may be done to rule out infections.

What are the treatments for swollen testicles?

Treatments for swollen testicles depend on the cause. If an infection caused the swelling, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to fight the infection. If oral antibiotics don’t work, you may have to receive intramuscular antibiotics or be hospitalized for IV antibiotics. Urgent surgery may be necessary to undo a testicular torsion if the testis is still viable. Surgery may be necessary to correct the condition if the underlying cause is varicocele, hernia, or hydrocele. Testicular cancer has several treatment options, which will depend on the severity of the cancer.

Whether the cancer has spread and how long it went undetected will determine your treatment, which normally consists of the following:

• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Surgery, which involves removing cancerous tissue and cancerous tumors from the scrotal sac