Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Scrotal mass causes
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Scrotal masses may be caused by tumors,injury,truma,infections. Also the causes depends on the anatomical origin.
Causes
Causes
Common Causes
- Scrotal mass may be caused by tumor, infection, injury, inflammation, or fluid buildup, which can cause different types of masses.[1]
| Common Causes of Scrotal Mass Adapted from American Academy of Family Physicians.[2] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cause | Clinical Presentation | Diagnosis | Treatment | |
| Testicular torsion | Acute unilateral pain and swelling High position of the testicle Abnormal cremasteric reflex Nausea/vomiting |
Mostly clinical, with or without sonography | Surgery | |
| Torsion of the testicular appendage | Acute unilateral pain No swelling Blue dot sign(bluish discoloration of the scrotum over the superior pole) |
Sonography | Pain control | |
| Epididymis/orchitis | Acute unilateral pain and swelling Normal position of the testicle Erythema of the scrotal skin Fever Dysuria |
Mostly clinical, with or without sonography | Ceftriaxone and doxyxycline | |
| Hematocele | History of trauma Pain and swelling |
Sonography or surgerical exploraion | Main focus on pain control. Surgery, if needed | |
| Inguinal hernia | Unilateral bulge in the scrotum Pain with Valsalva maneuvers |
Physical examination, sonography | Surgery | |
| Hydrocele | Swelling | Transillumination, sonography | Main focus on pain control. Surgery, if needed | |
| Varicocele | Dull testicular ache while in standing position Scrotal mass |
“Bag of worms” on palpation | Scrotal support, surgery if needed | |
| Testicular cancer | Unilateral, firm nodule | Sonography, positive tumor markers | Surgery | |
| Skin cancer | History of carcinogens Erosive, vascular, hyperkeratotic, or nonhealing; irregular border; color changes |
Biopsy | Surgery | |
Refrences
Refrences
Causes by Anatomic Origin
| Scrotal Mass Adapted from American Academy of Family Physicians.[2] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anatomical Origin | Lesion/Condition | Onset/Progression | Pain/Tenderness | Aggravating/Alleviating Factors, Associated Symptoms |
| Skin | Sebaceous cyst | Acute/chronic, stable | No | — |
| Squamous cell carcinoma | Chronic, progressive | No | — | |
| Tunica vaginalis testis | Hydrocele | Acute/chronic, stable | No | Positive transillumination |
| Hematocele | Acute, caused by trauma | Yes | Negative transillumination | |
| Processus vaginalis testis | Indirect inguinal hernia | Acute/chronic, stable or progressive | No; yes, if strangulated | May enlarge with Valsalva-type maneuvers; size may fluctuate |
| Hydrocele | Chronic, stable | No | — | |
| Pampiniform plexus | Varicocele | Chronic, stable | No | Characteristic “bag of worms” consistency |
| Epididymis | Epididymitis | Acute, progressive | Yes | May have symptoms of urinary tract infection (fever, chills, dysuria, frequency, and urgency) |
| Spermatocele | Chronic, stable | No | — | |
| Testis | Testicular torsion | Acute, progressive | Yes | Elevation of testis may aggravate pain; abnormal testicular lie; cremasteric reflex usually absent |
| Appendix testis torsion | Acute, stable | Yes | Blue dot sign | |
| Orchitis | Acute, self-limited | Yes | Elevation of testis may relieve pain, may have systemic symptoms of viral illness | |
| Testicular cancer | Chronic, progressive | No | — | |
Causes by Organ System
| Cardiovascular | No underlying causes |
| Chemical / poisoning | No underlying causes |
| Dermatologic | Sebaceous cyst |
| Drug Side Effect | No underlying causes |
| Ear Nose Throat | No underlying causes |
| Endocrine | No underlying causes |
| Environmental | No underlying causes |
| Gastroenterologic | No underlying causes |
| Genetic | No underlying causes |
| Hematologic | Thrombosis spermatic vein |
| Iatrogenic | No underlying causes |
| Infectious Disease | Mumps, Filariasis, Leprosy, Orchitis, Syphilitic gumma, Tuberculosis, Amebiasis, Epididymitis, Granulomatous epididymitis, Seminal vesiculitis |
| Musculoskeletal / Ortho | No underlying causes |
| Neurologic | No underlying causes |
| Nutritional / Metabolic | No underlying causes |
| Obstetric/Gynecologic | No underlying causes |
| Oncologic | Benign: Germ cell tumor, Teratoma, Thecoma, Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor, Fibroma, Chimney sweeps’ carcinoma, Epididymis cyst, Seminal vesicle cyst, Urethral gland cyst
Malignant: Germ cell tumor, Seminoma, Embryonal carcinoma, Yolk sac tumor, Choriocarcinoma, Teratoma, Granulosa cell tumor, Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor, Adenocarcinoma, Mesothelioma, Rhabdomyosarcoma, Chimney sweeps’ carcinoma, Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma Metastatic tumors: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma |
| Opthalmologic | No underlying causes |
| Overdose / Toxicity | No underlying causes |
| Psychiatric | No underlying causes |
| Pulmonary | No underlying causes |
| Renal / Electrolyte | No underlying causes |
| Rheum / Immune / Allergy | No underlying causes |
| Sexual | No underlying causes |
| Trauma | Testicular injury, Testicular hematoma, Spermatic cord injury, Fracture of testis |
| Urologic | Hematocele，Hydrocele，Spermatocele, Varicocele, Testicular torsion, Epididymis torsion, Spermatic cord torsion, Inguinal hernia, Richter hernia, Femoral hernia, Incarcerated hernia, Irreducible hernia, Strangulated hernia, Testicular abscess, Scrotum abscess, Idiopathic scrotal edema, Seminal vesicle calculus |
| Miscellaneous | No underlying causes |
References
References
- ↑ Causes of scrotal masses. The Urology Group 2016. http://urologygroup.com/conditions-we-treat/scrotal-masses/. Accessed on March 17, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Scrotal mass. American Academy of Family Physicians 2016. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2008/1115/p1165.html. Accessed on March 18, 2016
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Niloofarsadaat Eshaghhosseiny, MD[2]Shanshan Cen, M.D. [3], Sujit Routray, M.D. [4]