DISORDERS OF THE SCROTUM & TESTES Flashcards
(48 cards)
CRYPTORCHIDISM
- What is it?
- Incidence is directly related to what? 2
- Undescended testes or absent testes (agenesis)
- Occurs when one or both of the testicles fail to move down into the scrotal sac. - Incidence is directly related to -birth weight and
- gestational age:
CRYPTORCHIDISM
- ___ of premature males
- The cause in full term infants is poorly understood - ____% of full term infants are born with undescended testicles:
Most cases are idiopathic
Some may be genetic or hormonal
- 1/3
2. 3-5
CRYPTORCHIDISM PATHOLOGY
1. Testes develop intra-abdominally in the fetus and usually descend into the scrotum through the___________ during the _________ month of gestation
- Undescended testicles remain where? 2
- inguinal canal, 7th to 9th
- in the lower abdomen or
- at a point of descent into the inguinal canal
CRYPTORCHIDISM PATHOLOGY
- The scrotal sac is what?
- The testis can be felt how? 2
- Spontaneous decent often occurs during when?
- By age what, the incidence decreases to 0.8%?
- Spontaneous decent rarely occurs after when?
- empty
- either is
- not palpable or
- can be felt external to the inguinal ring - first 3 months of life
- 6 months
- 6 months of age!
- Pathological changes to the undescended testicle can be demonstrated when?
- What are these patholoic changes? 3
- When the disorder is unilateral, it also may produce morphologic changes in what?
- at 6-12 months
- Delay in germ cell development
- Changes in the spermatic tubules
- Reduced number of Leydig cells
- contralateral descended testicle
CONSEQUENCES OF CRYPTORCHIDISM
4
- Infertility:
- Malignancy—risk is increased!!!
- Indirect inguinal hernias
- Increased incidence of testicular torsion
Why is infertility decreased in CRYPTORCHIDISM? 3
- Increases if disorder is bilateral
- Decreased sperm counts
- Poorer quality sperm
CRYPTORCHIDISM EXAM AND DIAGNOSIS
4
- Careful examination of genitalia in male infants
- Differentiate between undescended testes from retractable testes:
- Ultrasound occasionally
- Laparoscopy for diagnosis and treatment
Differentiate between undescended testes from retractable testes: How?
4
- Retract into the inguinal canal with cremasteric muscle reflex
- Are usually palpable at birth
- Careful palpation in warm room can bring them down
- Usually assume a scrotal position during puberty**
CRYPTORCHIDISM Treatment goals?
3
- Enhance future fertility potential
- Placement of the gonad in a favorable place for cancer detection
- Improved cosmetic appearance
CRYPTORCHIDISM
1. Orchiopexy should be considered after when, as the rate of descent diminishes considerably after this point?
2.What is it?
- 6 months of life
- Surgical placement and fixation of the testes in the scrotum
- 95% of orchiopexy patients will be fertile
CRYPTORCHIDISM Lifelong follow-up:
2
What should we educate about?
- Infertility issues
- Testicular cancer issues
**Upon reaching puberty, instruct boys in the necessity of testicular self-examination
This should be done monthly
HYDROCELE
1. What is it?
- Unilateral or bilateral?
- Usually due to?
- Excess fluid collects between the layers of the tunica vaginalis usually peritoneal fluid due to a weakness in the patent processus vaginalis**
- Can be both
- Due to a primary congenital defect or secondary condition
HYDROCELE Primary congenital: 1. Found in who? 2. Associated with what? 3. Prognosis? 4. When is surgical treatment indicated?
- Male infants and children
- Associated with indirect inguinal hernia
- Infant hydroceles usually close spontaneously
- If persists beyond 2 years of age, surgical treatment is indicated
HYDROCELE: Secondary causes?
7
- Trauma
- Epididymitis
- Testicular torsion
- Orchitis
- Infection
- Testicular cancer
- Appendiceal torsion
HYDROCELE
- On palpation feels how?
- Can be mistaken for what?
1 .Palpated as cystic mass(es)
Can become quite large
2. Mass can be mistaken for a solid tumor
HYDROCELE
Dx? 2
- Transillumination
2. US
HYDROCELE
1. Hydrocele develops in a young man without apparent cause: How should we
- In an adult male, hydrocele is a relatively benign condition
- Presents how?
- Feeling of heaviness where?
- Pain where?
- Hydrocele develops in a young man without apparent cause:
- It should be considered cancer until proven otherwise
- Careful evaluation is needed to exclude cancer or infection - In an adult male, hydrocele is a relatively benign condition:
- Is often asymptomatic
- Feeling of heaviness in the scrotum
- Pain in the lower back
HEMATOCELE
1. What is it?
- What can it cause?
- Etiologies? 4
- Accumulation of blood in the tunica vaginalis
- Can compromise testicle - Causes scrotal skin to become dark red or purple
- Etiologies:
- abdominal surgical procedure
- scrotal trauma
- bleeding disorder
- testicular tumor
SPERMATOCELE
- What is it?
- Located where?
- Attached where?
- Usually how big?
- Freely movable and should do what?
- How can they be problematic?
- Painless, sperm-containing cyst that forms on the epididymis
- Located above and posterior to the testes
- Attached to the epididymis
- Separate from the testes
- May be solitary or multiple - Usually greater than 2cm
- Freely movable and should transilluminate
- Rarely cause problems
If large, may become painful and require excision
VARICOCELE
- What is it?
- If condition is persistent, what happens? 2
- What is decreased in 65% to 74% of men? 2
- Rarely found when?
- Highest incidence is what ages?
- Varicosities of the pampiniform plexus:
- The network of veins that supplying the testes - If condition is persistent,
- damage to the elastic fibers and
- hypertrophy of the vein wall occurs (like varicose veins in the legs) - Sperm concentration and
- motility are decreased in 65% to 74% of men
- Rarely found before puberty
- Highest incidence is men between 15 and 35 years of age
VARICOCELE
LEFT SIDE MORE COMMON
1. Left gonadal vein inserts where?
- Right gonadal vein enters where?
- Incompetent valves are more common in the left, causing what?
- The force of gravity resulting from the upright position also contributes to what?
- in the left renal vein at a right angle.
- inferior vena cava.
- reflux of blood back into the veins of the pampiniform plexus.
- venous dilatation.
VARICOCELE SYMPTOMS/EXAM
-Can present how? 5
- Usually readily Dx how?
- Exam should be done with the pt in what position?
- The varicocele typically disappears how?
- Scrotal palpation will feel how?
- Can be asymptomatic.
- Dull aching,
- atrophy, and
- infertility
- An abnormal feeling of heaviness in the left when standing and relieved when recumbent
- Usually readily diagnosed on PE:
- Exam should be done with the patient in the standing and recumbent position.
- The varicocele typically disappears in the supine position
- Scrotal palpation will feel like “a bag of worms”
- VARICOCELE TREATMENT
3 - Who is this necessary in?
- Obliteration of the dilated veins. How? 3
- For those who are not needing increased fertility— how should we treat? 2
- Surgical ligation of the gonadal vein**
- Interventional radiology
- Embolization of veins
- Necessary in young males who are showing testicular atrophy**
- Some improvement in infertility
- Relief of the “heavy” feeling
- Cosmetic improvement
- NSAIDS & scrotal support