Some parents of little boys sometimesmay encounter a disease such as hydrocele. If a child has hydrocele, treatment should be started as soon as possible, but, unfortunately, this is not possible in all cases of this disease in a child. If hydrocele in newborn boys is most often detected in the maternity hospital, then in older children it can be diagnosed late. Many parents, having noticed something wrong, simply do not pay attention to the change in the size of the testicles, believing that these are age-related changes. And only when one or both testicles become disproportionately large, parents begin to sound the alarm. But the earlier the disease is detected, the more effectively it is treated. Hydrocele in boys in our time, with timely diagnosis, adequate treatment and care for the child, does not pose any negative impact on the child's health. This disease is characterized by the fact that in the baby's testicles there is a violation of the normal outflow and, as a result, the formation of excess fluid. There are two types of dropsy - congenital and acquired. Both types of the disease, its symptoms and treatment methods are described in more detail below. After all, only knowing all possible information about the disease, you can successfully fight it. And doctors, alas, often do not consider it necessary to dedicate parents to the details of the course of the disease and its treatment, and often remain silent about it, believing that parents simply do not need to know this.
Congenital hydrops
The cause of dropsy is a violationnormal development of the testicles. In the fetus, not only the testicle descends into the scrotum, but also a part of the peritoneum called the vaginal process. Normally, the opening in the vaginal process heals. But if this does not happen, water begins to accumulate in the child's scrotum. The fluid can constantly be in the scrotum, or it can circulate in the child's peritoneum. In some cases, such dropsy disappears spontaneously, without surgical intervention, when the opening heals. Of course, such developmental disorders of the fetus do not just appear out of nowhere. There are quite a few reasons for such developmental deviations, which are probably known to doctors. In particular, they include:
- The presence of a pregnant woman's bad habits
Consumption by the expectant mother of beverages containingAlcohol, smoking, being in smoky rooms - all this significantly increases the risk of developing various complications in the baby, including hydrocele.
- The use of certain pharmacological drugs
Some medications, if there are anytaken by a pregnant woman, can disrupt the normal process of development of the internal organs of the fetus. Including such as non-closure of the peritoneal process and, as a consequence, the occurrence of congenital dropsy.
- Infection of a pregnant woman with rubella
In the event that a pregnant woman falls illrubella, there is a very high risk of the child developing severe developmental disorders. That is why doctors in such a situation insist on performing an artificial termination of pregnancy. If the infection occurred at a late stage of pregnancy, the risk of developing severe pathologies is significantly less than at an early stage of pregnancy. But ovarian hydrocele occurs very, very often in such cases.
- Infection of a pregnant woman with chickenpox
Chickenpox in pregnant women does not entail such severe consequences as rubella infection. However, hydrocele of the testicles occurs very, very often.
- Genetic predisposition
Hydrocele of the testicles is often the result ofgenetic inheritance of the baby. Moreover, the disease can be transmitted both through one or two generations, and through ten or twelve. The amount of fluid that accumulates in the scrotum with hydrocele can vary greatly. In mild cases, it can be only a few milliliters, and in advanced forms of the disease - from one to three liters! Moreover, these figures apply to newborns - in older children, the upper limit can be even higher. Sometimes the scrotum can increase in size so much that the child even stops walking and sitting normally. And only in the lying position does the child experience a short-term improvement in condition. You yourself understand what discomfort this disease brings to the child, regardless of whether it is a newborn baby or an older boy. Despite the fact that such a condition does not pose a threat to the child's life, the child simply cannot lead a normal life. Despite the fact that the child, as mentioned above, experiences significant discomfort, dropsy, as a rule, does not cause pain. However, if too much fluid accumulates, the child may experience some pain, the intensity of which varies in each individual case. Fluid accumulation may occur in waves, but most often it still occurs gradually. When palpating the testicles, a pear-shaped seal is felt, the upper part of which is directed towards the inguinal canals. In its shape, this type of dropsy in children is somewhat reminiscent of an hourglass. The size of the dropsy will directly depend on the amount of accumulated fluid. Large dropsy can sometimes make urination difficult and lead to the development of such a complication as acute urinary retention. This is why pediatricians strongly advise not to delay the operation and to perform it as soon as it becomes possible.
Causes of dropsy of testicles in newborns
Having encountered this phenomenon in your child,like dropsy, ask the doctor what exactly triggered the disease. Nowadays, doctors identify several causes of testicular dropsy:
- Not completely overgrown peritoneum process
As mentioned above, if inDuring the intrauterine development of the fetus, the peritoneal process is not sufficiently healed, and communicating hydrocele occurs. It is very easy to distinguish communicating hydrocele. When the child is in an upright position, the symptoms of hydrocele are obvious. But as soon as the child lies down, the hydrocele completely or almost completely disappears, as the fluid moves into the abdominal cavity. Parents of children suffering from communicating hydrocele should be especially attentive to the health of their baby - very often the disease is accompanied by a hernia. This happens because the baby's internal organs, such as a testicle, a strand of omentum or a loop of intestine, often end up in the scrotum through the unhealed peritoneal process.
- Inflammatory process
The second reason for the development of hydrocele in a child is inflammatory processes occurring in the testicle itself or its appendages.
- Postoperative hydropsy
This type of disease is the rarest, usually after surgery for an inguinal hernia. This cause of the disease occurs in only 2% of all cases.
Dropsy of testicles
Hydrocele of the testicles also occurs ascongenital and acquired. Congenital hydrocele of the testicular membranes, as well as the testicles themselves, can also be communicating and non-communicating. The acquired form of hydrocele of the testicular membranes can be symptomatic and idiopathic. In the event that hydrocele of the testicular membranes is diagnosed in a newborn baby, doctors, as a rule, try not to rush with treatment. They explain their decision by the fact that in many cases, as the baby grows up, the peritoneal process overgrows and, as a result, the disease goes away on its own, without any medical intervention. However, if the doctor takes a wait-and-see attitude, he will very carefully monitor the baby's condition throughout the entire time, and at the slightest deterioration, surgery may be performed. Acquired hydrocele of the testicular membranes occurs as a result of various inflammatory processes, scrotal trauma, and disruption of the normal outflow of lymphatic fluid. As a rule, in such cases, to treat hydrocele of the testicular membranes, it is enough to cure the underlying disease. After that, the hydrocele disappears on its own.
Leaking of dropsy
In addition to the nature of the origin of hydrocele, doctors divide the disease into two subcategories, according to the nature of the disease:
- Acute form of the disease
Acute hydrocele of the testicles occurs due todevelopment of an inflammatory disease or injury to the baby. Also, in rarer cases, in older children, acute hydrocele can be observed as a complication of acute respiratory diseases, flu, mumps and some other childhood infections. Symptoms of the disease appear suddenly and immediately in a pronounced form. The testicle swells quite strongly - the swelling can be noticed even without a medical education. Having discovered the symptoms of hydrocele in their son, parents should immediately contact a pediatrician or a pediatric surgeon.
- Chronic form of the disease course
Chronic form of the disease in allIn some cases, it is nothing more than a consequence of an acute form that was not diagnosed in a timely manner or did not receive adequate treatment for one reason or another.
Diagnosis and treatment of dropsy testicles
Diagnosis of this disease for childrenIt is not difficult for a doctor to diagnose the disease. As a rule, diagnostics begin with a visual examination. If during the examination the doctor finds something suspicious, he will send the child for an ultrasound examination, during which it will be possible to determine with absolute certainty not only the presence of the disease itself, but also the nature of its occurrence. During the ultrasound examination, the doctor will not only find out the condition of the testicles and appendages, but also the nature and volume of the fluid. In addition, an ultrasound examination can also identify or exclude the presence of possible concomitant diseases in the child, for example, a spermatic cord cyst or inguinal hernia. But often such concomitant diseases are precisely the primary sources of the disease of testicular hydrocele in a child. In some cases, doctors have to resort to the help of parents to diagnose testicular hydrocele. Sometimes it is possible to detect the symptoms of hydrocele only when the child is in a horizontal position - especially at night when the baby is sleeping. In this case, a photograph of the testicular tumor taken by the parents at a time when it is visually visible will be of great help. As mentioned above, hydrocele of the testicles or its membranes is extremely rarely an independent disease. Most often, it is a consequence of the underlying disease. The main ones are listed below:
As a rule, the child's older brothers, father or uncle have encountered such a disease. Such heredity is equally often transmitted both through the maternal and paternal lines.
If hydrocele is detected in boys,Treatment should be timely. Hydrocele of the testicle requires constant medical supervision, regardless of whether it is a small child or even a teenager. A child suffering from hydrocele of the testicles is registered with a pediatric urologist-andrologist. In the event that there is an excessive accumulation of fluid and, as a result, tension of the membranes of the testicles, the doctor, as a rule, resorts to a puncture. The purpose of the puncture in such a situation is to remove excess fluid in order to avoid complications. Sometimes doctors have to perform a number of such punctures to stabilize the child's condition. As a rule, doctors most often prefer to treat acquired hydrocele of the testicles in older children surgically. The situation with newborn babies suffering from congenital hydrocele of the testicles is a little different - doctors prefer to observe the child for at least the first six months of life, without resorting to surgery. Ideally, if the child's condition allows, it is advisable to resort to it no earlier than the child reaches two years of age. An exception to this rule is the appearance of the following complications in the baby:
- Joining the testicles of inguinal hernia.
- The presence in the scrotum of too much fluid, which causes excessive stress of the testicles.
- The child begins to complain regularly about intense pain in the scrotum. Or, if it is too small, it shows constant anxiety.
- To a dropsy of testicles any secondary infection is attached.
In older children, observation is necessarythe course of the disease without surgical intervention, as a rule, is performed if the child is diagnosed with a traumatic form of dropsy. The child's condition is assessed by doctors for three months, during which doctors monitor the dynamics of the disease. And only if there is no improvement, doctors resort to surgical intervention. However, it should be noted that such a wait-and-see tactic for traumatic dropsy is possible only if the integrity of the testicle was not violated as a result of the bruise. The most difficult case of treating dropsy is dropsy that occurs as a complication of surgery to remove an inguinal hernia. In this case of the disease, it is very important to perform the operation on time - if it is done too early, it will not bring practically any help to the baby. This is why doctors usually carefully monitor the child's condition, do regular ultrasound examinations in order to adequately assess the dynamics of the disease, as well as how effective the treatment is. And only on the basis of all comprehensive studies and observations does the doctor decide to perform the operation.
Disease dropsy of testicles in adolescents
The situation with detection is a little more complicateddiseases in adolescent boys. From a physiological point of view, of course, diagnostics is not difficult and is carried out according to a standard scheme. And the difficulty lies in the psychological characteristics of a teenager in adolescence. Parents, as a rule, do not see their son undressed at this age - the child goes to the toilet, to the bathroom on his own and does not need the help of his parents. Thus, parents are not able to independently detect the presence of hydrocele. In adolescence, many teenagers have a particularly heightened sense of shame. And even if a child discovers a tumor, he will not always go to his parents for help, even if they have just a wonderful relationship. Parents can guess that something is wrong with their son only based on indirect signs, such as:
- The child is increasingly locked in a toilet or bathroom, spending an excessive amount of time there.
- Also, parents may notice that the child's gait has changed, has become more "duck-shaped."
- The child became interested in various printed publications and books about human health.
- In the journal of the Internet browser, you suddenly find traces of visits to various specific medical sites.
If you notice two or more of the abovesigns in your son, you should ask the child if everything is okay with him. There is an opinion that the father should talk to the boy about such topics. However, child psychologists have a slightly different opinion on this matter - the parent who has closer contact with the child should talk to the child. If the child avoids answering when trying to talk, you should not play at friendship with the teenager. In this situation, we are talking about the child's health. Of course, you should not try to forcibly remove the teenager's underwear, but parents should insist on the need to go to the doctor. Moreover, in this situation, you should not trust the child's word. He may not go to the doctor out of embarrassment, but he will tell you that he was there. Be sure to go to the doctor with your child. At the same time, you will get the opportunity to find out about the health of your son from the doctor. Many parents are afraid to take their child to the doctor like this, blindly, based only on guesses. However, in vain - no doctor will refuse to examine a child even if the parents' suspicions are not confirmed.
Consequences of the disease
Despite its apparent harmlessness,Without proper treatment, hydrocele in boys can have the most negative consequences for the child's health, often ones that will only make themselves known in the distant future, when the child becomes an adult. Hydrocele, which torments a child for quite a long time (two years or more), exerts constant mechanical pressure on the testicle, causing compression syndrome. As a result, normal blood flow and lymph movement in the testicle are disrupted, and, as a result, either underdevelopment of the testicle develops, or, if an older child is sick, even testicular atrophy. In addition, in the presence of hydrocele, there is a significant disruption of the physiological temperature regime in the scrotum. Such an increase in temperature over a long period of time leads to a disruption of the full process of spermatogenesis. Under normal conditions, the formation and further development of spermatozoa occurs at a temperature that is approximately two degrees lower than the man's body temperature. In boys, prolonged hydrocele can lead to complications such as infertility in adulthood.
Features of the operation
As mentioned above, if hydrocele is present in the testiclesboys, surgery is most often inevitable. Of course, the word "surgery" itself is extremely frightening to many parents. However, in all cases, anxiety is unfounded. The operation to eliminate hydrocele is planned and does not present any difficulty for surgeons. Many parents ask doctors to refuse the operation and resort to a puncture of the testicles in order to remove fluid. However, such a measure is temporary, since the cause of the disease is not eliminated, and, as a result, fluid continues to accumulate in the child's testicles. The operation is carried out in order to eliminate communication between the abdominal cavity and the scrotum. To do this, during the operation, the doctor isolates and ligates the vaginal process, which has not healed. Also during the operation, complete elimination of the hydrocele is carried out. For surgical access in communicating hydrocele, the surgeon makes a very small incision, no more than two centimeters. But if the child suffers from an isolated form of hydrocele, the surgeon provides access by making an incision in the scrotum. The child's recovery after surgery usually occurs very quickly. As a rule, two hours after the surgery, the anesthesiologist allows the child to be fed and watered, and after three hours, most children are able to stand on their own. The first day, children are usually injected with non-narcotic painkillers. It is extremely important for parents of small children to ensure that their children do not make any sudden movements during the first few days. To apply internal stitches, surgeons use threads that have the ability to dissolve on their own after some time. But external stitches will need to be removed. As a rule, stitches are removed on the fifth to seventh day. Of course, most children are very afraid of this procedure, but it is completely painless.
Treatment of dropsy testicles folk remedies
In various sources of information it is often saidThere are various recipes for treating ovarian dropsy using folk medicine recipes. However, in no case should you try to treat dropsy using folk methods in children under ten years of age. But folk medicine can significantly alleviate the health of a teenager, and sometimes it helps to avoid surgical intervention in the body. Below are several very effective recipes that have been helping thousands of children for decades. However, remember that the use of folk remedies for ovarian dropsy in no way eliminates the need to visit a urologist - andrologist and follow all his recommendations. Also, be sure to first consult with the child's doctor and use the remedies only after approval by his doctors.
- Decoction of chamomile
As is known, chamomile has powerfulantiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent. Taking chamomile decoction effectively relieves inflammation of the testicles, and also prevents the addition of a bacterial infection. To prepare the decoction, you need to buy dry chamomile flowers at the pharmacy. Boil one liter of water in an enamel bowl. After the water boils, pour in three tablespoons of dry chamomile flowers, reduce the heat and boil for 3 minutes. After this, you need to do the following. Sew a bag from gauze in advance, with which you can strain the resulting decoction. After the bag has cooled to body temperature, apply it to the dropsy, cover with plastic wrap and cloth on top. Leave the compress for about an hour. Add sugar to the chamomile decoction itself to taste and give it to the child to drink every 4 hours, half a glass at a time. The course of treatment should not exceed two weeks.
- Decoction of dioecious nettle
It is equally useful for hydrocele to takeinside a decoction of stinging nettle. The decoction of nettle is prepared as follows. In summer, it is preferable to use leaves and stems of fresh nettle. In winter, dry nettle purchased at any pharmacy will do. Place two tablespoons of crushed raw materials in a saucepan, pour half a liter of water and bring to a boil over low heat. After 5 minutes of boiling, turn off the decoction, cover tightly with a lid and leave for three hours. After this, strain the decoction and give the child 100 grams of decoction before bed and in the morning on an empty stomach. The course of treatment with nettle decoction should not exceed ten days.
- Infusion of birch buds
If the disease caught your child earlyIn the spring, when the buds on the trees have not yet blossomed, an infusion of birch buds can significantly alleviate the course of the disease. Of course, you can try using dry buds purchased at a pharmacy, but the effect will be much weaker. So, boil one liter of water, place the buds in gauze or a colander, dip them in boiling water for a few seconds and remove. After that, put the buds through a meat grinder and pour them back into boiling water. Turn off the water after a minute, cover with a lid and wrap tightly in a warm cloth. Birch buds must be infused for 24 hours, then strained through gauze. The child should take the decoction only after meals, twice a day, 50 grams. Treatment with a decoction of birch buds can be continued for three weeks. And remember that the treatment of hydrocele with folk remedies should only be carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor. And if the doctor does not approve of such treatment, or considers that it has not helped and insists on performing an operation, the parents should not insist on their own. It is much wiser to agree with the treatment proposed by the doctor. We recommend reading:
