Maintaining men's health is an important aspect in the active life of men. In some cases, they may develop pathologies in the genital area. One of these diseases is the cyst of the spermatic cord of the testis or spermatocele, which is quite common in boys and men of different ages.
Material Content:
What is spermatocele
A spermatocele is a space in the area of the testicle or its appendage, filled with a clear or milky liquid and having a dense fibrous capsule. The formation is mobile and not associated with surrounding tissues. It occurs due to a violation of the outflow of secretory fluid from the epididymis.
Accumulating in the excretory duct, it forms a space in the region of the head or tail of the appendage. The contents of the cyst consists of seminal fluid, sperm, spermatocytes and has the nature of a benign formation.
Cystic formation is characterized by slow growth and the absence of clinical manifestations. But in the absence of medical care, it can have a negative effect on the reproductive system of men, provoking its failure. Most often, the seminal cyst develops in the left testicle due to the anatomical features of the structure of the male genital organs.
Classification of ailment
According to the classification, the cyst of the spermatic cord is presented in the form of certain 2 types of diseases, such as:
- congenital pathology;
- acquired pathology.
If in men spermatozoa of an acquired nature can appear at any age, due to certain etiological factors, then in babies this pathology is formed in the process of fetal development of the fetus.
Reasons for the appearance of a cyst
Congenital seminal cyst is a common occurrence in newborn boys, which occurs due to a malfunction in the functions of certain body systems during pregnancy in the mother. As a rule, such a pathology occurs in its early stages, when the organs of the future baby are laid.
With the acquired character of spermatocele in a man, the following factors play a leading role in the onset of the disease:
- traumatic damage to the genitals;
- inflammatory processes in the testicle in the form of epididymitis, orchitis, vesiculitis.
With a scrotum injury, a violation of the anatomical integrity of male reproductive organs can occur, which often entails surgical intervention. Inflammation, as well as trauma that occurs in the testicle, can provoke a violation of the patency of the spermatic cord, and sometimes its complete obstruction. The difficulty in the outflow of secretion leads to its accumulation in the problem area of the spermatic cord, which provokes the extension of its wall and the development of the cyst.
Symptoms and diagnosis of the disease
With an innate nature, the seminal cyst can reach 2.5 cm in diameter. At the same time, sperm are absent in its contents. Most often, this pathology is detected in the puberty, that is, spermatozoa are diagnosed in a teenager.
But sometimes a cyst that appears may not increase in size, but may regress and completely dissolve. Therefore, the doctor observes the dynamics of children with diagnosed cystic formation and monitors his condition.
A man can detect the appearance of a dense mass in the scrotum by chance only on palpation, as often a characteristic feature of the disease is its asymptomatic course. If the cystic formation increases to a significant size, the following symptoms appear:
- visual enlargement of the scrotum;
- pain and discomfort in the genital area;
- increased pain during physical exertion, and sometimes when walking;
- unpleasant feeling in intimate relationships;
- hyperemia and swelling of the scrotum with infection;
- increased soreness in contact with an organ;
- the appearance of symptoms of general intoxication (weakness, low-grade fever).
Strengthening of clinical symptoms is observed in violation of the integrity of the cyst, when the secretory fluid is poured out, provoking the process of inflammation in the testicle and appendage.
Important! Identification of a dense formation in the scrotum requires the obligatory consultation of a urologist to establish a diagnosis and determine further tactics regarding treatment or observation.
Diagnosis of spermatocele begins with a medical history, examination of the patient and objective data, followed by the appointment of the following examination:
- blood, urine - for a general analysis;
- Ultrasound scrotum;
- according to the indications of MRI;
- diaphanoscopy.
Instrumental diagnostic methods can detect the presence and localization of the spermatic cord cyst.
Spermatocele treatment
If the cystic formation is small and there is no concomitant symptomatology, an observation with ultrasound control after 6 months is prescribed. With slight discomfort or the appearance of a slight pain syndrome during physical activity are prescribed:
- anti-inflammatory drugs;
- pain medication.
Treatment of spermatocele with significant volumes in combination with clinical manifestations is carried out surgically by certain methods, such as:
- spermatocelectomy - under local anesthesia, the cyst is carefully husked with a special device, while avoiding contact with the tissues of the testis and appendage;
- sclerotherapy - the introduction of a special solution to connect the walls of the cyst;
- needle aspiration - with the help of a special needle, a cystic puncture is made.
An operation to remove spermatocele is performed according to indications. The type of intervention is determined by a specialist taking into account the clinical picture, the size of the cyst, the general condition of the patient.
The consequences of the cyst of the spermatic cord
Since this pathology is common in men quite often, timely conservative treatment and surgical observation or removal of cystic lesions will avoid complications. The consequences of neglected cases may have the following manifestations:
- compression of nerves and blood vessels in the scrotum;
- infertility;
- suppuration of the cyst with the development of acute inflammation;
- rupture of a cyst with the appearance of a sharp pain syndrome, fever, swelling of the scrotum.
Regular dispensary examination of boys and men by a urologist, especially at the age of 30-40 years, contributes to the timely detection and high-quality treatment of spermatic cord cysts. This will keep the reproductive function of men and their ability to work at a high level.
