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2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14
All young parents, without exception, are madly happy about the birth of their newborn baby, however, to the feeling of boundless happiness they must add a feeling of constant anxiety about the state of his health and level of development.
Moms and dads of boys often notice that their little son has a tiny scrotum slightly enlarged and, moreover, has a bluish tint.
In most cases, this symptom turns out to be a sign of a common disease in newborns - dropsy of the testicles. In this article, we will tell you what this ailment is, how dangerous it is, and how you can get rid of it.
Dropsy of the testicles in boys - what is it?
Dropsy of the testicles in newborn boys is a fairly common pathology in which the lining of one or both tiny testicles fills with fluid.
Until the moment the baby is born, his genitals are located, as it were, inside the tummy, however, in a newborn baby they can already be found in the scrotum, where they descend over time.
In some cases, one or two glands at once not only go down, but also carry along a part of the abdominal cavity, namely the film content of the connective tissue, which lines the inside of the baby's tummy.
It is for this reason that this disease outwardly represents an increase in the size of the scrotum. In addition, almost always in a boy with dropsy, you can notice some swelling in the groin area with the naked eye.
Despite the fact that this pathology does not cause any particular discomfort in a newborn baby and, in principle, is quite harmless, if such symptoms are found, it is better to contact a pediatric surgeon. This should be done especially quickly if your baby cries when touching his genitals, which means that this problem is causing him pain.
According to statistics, every tenth boy develops dropsy even in utero, and in some cases it can be detected during ultrasound diagnostics in the expectant mother. However, this disease can be acquired in nature.
Causes of dropsy of the testicles in newborn boys
The congenital form of this disease, which occurs in boys while still in the womb, is most often caused by the following reasons:
- hereditary factor;
- chronic diseases of the expectant mother;
- prematurity of the baby;
- the threat of termination and a successful course of pregnancy;
- increased intra-abdominal pressure;
- intrauterine infection of the infant;
- various injuries sustained during childbirth.
The acquired form in most cases is caused by the following reasons:
- torsion of the testicle;
- inflammatory process in the genitals;
- congenital cardiovascular failure;
- epididymitis, or inflammation of the epididymis;
- various tumor formations of the testicles or their appendages;
- damage to the lymphatic system and disruption of its work;
- mechanical damage and trauma to the scrotum;
- various defects of the abdominal wall;
- postoperative complications associated with the removal of a hernia and other reasons.
Contrary to the opinion that is widespread among the grandmothers of modern babies, the occurrence of dropsy in newborns has absolutely nothing to do with the use of disposable and reusable diapers. There is also no connection between the method of using these personal hygiene items for newborns and the course of this disease.
What are the symptoms of dropsy of the testicles in newborn infants and older boys?
Symptoms of a mild form of the disease have already been described earlier. In most cases, it is characterized by a slight swelling and an increase in the size of the scrotum, which does not cause any concern to the baby and is detected only by the parents while washing the baby and carrying out other hygienic procedures, or by the children's doctor during a routine examination.
If the dropsy has a complicated course, the following signs of the disease may occur:
- Severe pain and discomfort. A newborn baby still cannot communicate in any way about what he is experiencing, so you can understand how he feels only by his reaction to touching the genitals. An older child in most cases can already say that he is in pain, and show exactly where he is experiencing discomfort;
- A significant increase in the body temperature of the crumbs - up to 38 degrees and above;
- Severe redness of the scrotum;
- Nausea and bouts of vomiting;
- General weakness, malaise, chills.
How to treat dropsy of the testicles in boys?
In most cases, dropsy of the testicles in newborn boys goes away on its own, without treatment.
Meanwhile, if you find possible symptoms of the disease in your little son, you should definitely seek advice from a pediatric surgeon who will conduct a full-time examination and the necessary examinations and predict the further course of the disease.
As a rule, to clarify the diagnosis and the presence of complications, an examination is carried out such as diaphanoscopy or transillumination - the transillumination of the child's scrotum with a light source.
In addition, almost all young patients are additionally prescribed general blood and urine tests to diagnose other pathologies of the genital organs and the child's body as a whole.
If dropsy of the testicle is diagnosed in a boy under 2 years of age, therapeutic measures are extremely rare, but in this case, the child is shown constant observation by a pediatric urologist. The doctor also necessarily monitors the health of children over this age for some time, however, this period almost never exceeds 2.5-3 months. If the situation does not normalize during this time, the boy in most cases is sent to a hospital in a medical institution for an operation.
Surgical intervention can be indicated for babies up to two years old, but for this the child must have the following concomitant indications:
- the presence of severe discomfort in the groin area;
- the presence of an inguinal hernia as a concomitant diagnosis;
- periodic or constant change in the size of the scrotum in the direction of increase according to the results of dynamic observation;
- accession of infection or inflammation.
How is the operation to cure dropsy?
Surgery for this disease is not particularly difficult. In a medical institution, it takes 20-30 minutes and becomes the cause of complications only in very rare, isolated cases. For a surgical operation, the baby must be absolutely healthy, which must be checked by passing the necessary tests and studies.
The operation itself is performed under general anesthesia. As a rule, the doctor excises the inner membrane of the testicles as close to the base as possible and sutures its remnants with sutures. In rare cases, an additional pressure bandage or drainage may be required.
There are other options for performing operations for dropsy of the testicles, however, this method is the most preferred in the treatment of newborn children and boys aged 2 to 5 years.
If everything went well, the boy and his parents will be able to leave the hospital in the evening of the same day or in a day. After 5-7 days, the wound at the site of surgery will not bother the baby in any way.
In most cases, dropsy of the testicles, especially the congenital form, does not pose any danger to the boy.
Nevertheless, if this disease does not go away on its own, your baby needs treatment, and the doctor insists on a surgical operation, do not refuse, since in the future such a pathology can have an extremely negative effect on the state of the reproductive system and the male health of your son.