Dropsy of the testicles in newborns and infants

Quite often, after the birth of a little boy, parents discover signs of genital diseases in him. Such congenital pathologies cause many different questions in moms and dads that require an obligatory and correct solution.

What it is?

Dropsy of the testicles in newborns is a fairly frequently recorded pathology. Every tenth baby born has this disease. Usually, the first unfavorable signs of the disease are recorded in infants. Specific markers of the disease begin to be detected in babies already in the first days from the moment of birth.

Boys may have swelling of both the left and right testicles. Also, the process is quite often two-way. The development of this state is caused by the influence of various factors and causes. Dr. Komarovsky believes that congenital variants of the disease are most typical for newborns.

With dropsy or hydrocele, an excessive level of secretion accumulates between all the sheets covering the testicles. Normally, there is a small amount of lubricant between the membranes that cover the baby's internal genitalia. It ensures the normal sliding and functioning of the gonads. In various pathological conditions, this process is disrupted and excessive amounts of fluid are formed. This pathology is called dropsy.

According to statistics, three out of four babies have a mild disease. After the illness, children, as a rule, recover completely. However, in 25% of cases, dropsy of the testicles leads to the development of long-term adverse effects. In adulthood, they contribute to reproductive problems or even cause infertility in men.

Causes

All causal factors that cause dropsy in newborns and infants can be divided into several categories. This division allows doctors to accurately determine the cause of the disease, and therefore choose the optimal tactics for managing the baby in the future. This disease can be either congenital or acquired. According to statistics, congenital forms account for more than 80% of cases.

The development of this condition in the smallest children is caused by:

Infections suffered by the mother while carrying the unborn baby. Pathogens, as a rule, very easily penetrate the placental barrier. Getting through the feeding vessels of the placenta to the baby, they cause severe infectious inflammation. Such microorganisms contribute to the development of anomalies and defects in the structure.
The baby is born earlier than the due date. In premature babies, numerous combined pathologies in the structure and functioning of the male glands are found. In the period of the third trimester of pregnancy, the final completion of the organogenesis of the male sex glands occurs. So, the testicles should descend from the abdominal cavity into the groin. The birth of a baby at an earlier date leads to the fact that the male sex glands have not yet finally had time to form.
Various influences and injuries during childbirth. Such injuries are recorded during natural childbirth. Pregnancy with a large fetus with a narrow mother's pelvis increases the likelihood of various injuries during childbirth. Breech presentation of the fetus and excessive labor activity can provoke the appearance of birth damage.

Heredity. Scientists have found that in families where congenital forms of dropsy of the testicles are recorded, more babies are born with this disease. Currently, the exact genes that encode the hereditary relationship have not yet been identified. However, there are a large number of different scientific theories that support this fact.

Anatomical defects. Diseases leading to increased intra-abdominal pressure lead to the accumulation of excess fluid between the membranes of the testicles. Typically, these pathologies occur during intrauterine development. Abdominal wall defects also contribute to the development of dropsy of the testicles in newborn babies.
Traumatic injuries. Most often they occur when the correct treatment of the child is violated. The fall of the baby to the floor can provoke trauma to the external genital organs and even the appearance of signs of internal bleeding. These forms of the disease are called acquired, since they appear after the birth of the child.
Diseases of the genitourinary system. Congenital torsion of the testicles, defects in the structure of the external genital organs, non-closure of the duct between the abdominal cavity and the scrotal region lead to the appearance in the child of signs of dropsy of the testicles. The protracted course of urological diseases also contributes to the disruption of the formation and outflow of fluid between the membranes.

Tumor and malignant neoplasms. Rapidly growing tumors disrupt the development and functioning of the organs of the genitourinary system in the baby. Most often, this condition is caused by oncological processes that occur in the intestines and lymph nodes. Usually, dropsy of the testicles in this condition is bilateral.

Kinds

The variants of dropsy of the testicles can be different. It depends on the mechanism of damage and the presence of an anatomical defect. Violation of the correct and physiological structure of the genitals contributes to the appearance of excess fluid accumulation between the membranes of the testicles.

Currently, pediatric urologists distinguish several types of dropsy of the testicles in babies:

Communicating. Normally, there should be no communication between the abdominal cavity and the scrotum. If the duct connecting these anatomical zones is not overgrown, fluid flows out and flows into the external genital area. This condition is congenital. Quite often, it is this variant that is registered in newborns.
Isolated. In this case, the process is one-way. Only one testicle is affected. The second remains intact with this form. All clinical signs will occur only from the damaged side. This form is quite rare in newborns and infants.

When making a diagnosis, doctors also make a note of when the disease occurred. If the disease has already formed during the intrauterine development of the baby, then this form of the disease is called congenital. With traumatic injuries, oncological neoplasms, as well as other conditions that have arisen subsequently, they already speak of an acquired variant.

Also, doctors distinguish the following clinical forms of dropsy of the testicles:

Sharp. They are registered in babies for the first time in their lives. With adequate treatment, they usually do not become chronic. For recovery, timely diagnosis and the choice of optimal treatment tactics are required.
Chronic. They are characterized by a gradual appearance of adverse symptoms. Require regular monitoring by medical professionals. Babies with chronic forms of dropsy of the testicles are regularly observed by urologists. With a protracted course of the disease, surgical treatment is often required.

Symptoms

Any parent can suspect the disease. To do this, it is enough just to carefully monitor the external condition of the external genital organs in a newborn child. The easiest way to notice any changes is during your daily hygiene procedures. Any deviations from the norm should push the parents to consult a specialist with the baby.

For dropsy of the testicles in newborns, the following symptoms are most characteristic:

Enlargement of the scrotum. Usually it increases in size several times. In a unilateral process, the scrotum becomes highly asymmetrical. It's quite easy to notice even at home.
Redness of the skin. Normally, the skin around the scrotum is dark brown. With dropsy, it turns red. To the touch, you can feel that the skin above it becomes somewhat hot to the touch.
Soreness. Pain syndrome most often manifests itself during active movements, after a hot bath, and in some cases after urination. It is quite difficult to track this symptom in babies in the first year of life. Pay attention to how your baby behaves after and during urination.
Excessive mobility of the skin of the scrotum. Excessive fluid accumulation contributes to better sliding of the testicular membranes relative to each other. This contributes to the occurrence of this symptom. In severe cases, pain syndrome in the intimate area also joins the increased mobility.
Change in appearance. When liquid enters the cavity of the inguinal canal, the scrotum becomes a characteristic "hourglass" shape. Usually, this symptom is detected by urologists during a clinical examination of the baby. With the development of a unilateral process, a change becomes noticeable on the affected side of the relatively healthy one.
Violation of general well-being. Kids are becoming more moody. In some cases, with a mild course of the disease, the child's behavior practically does not change at all. Severe forms of the disease are accompanied by an increase in temperature to subfebrile and even febrile numbers, impaired appetite and sleep. Children can give up their usual activities and active games.

Diagnostics

The mild course of the disease may remain undetected for a long time. Local pediatricians often do not establish the first clinical signs of the disease in a timely manner, since the baby's well-being practically does not change. Only an attentive and sensitive attitude on the part of parents to their child contributes to the timely diagnosis of these diseases.

If you suspect that the child has signs and symptoms of dropsy of the testicles, be sure to show the baby to a pediatric urologist or andrologist. Doctors will conduct the necessary clinical examination and examination, as a result of which they can establish a preliminary diagnosis.

In difficult cases, the appointment of special instrumental research methods is required to confirm the presence of dropsy of the testicles in the child.

For additional diagnostics, the following methods are used:

Ultrasound of the scrotum and testicles. This method allows not only to establish the presence of free liquid, but also to determine its amount. This study is safe and does not bring any pain to the child. A quarter of an hour is enough to establish the correct diagnosis. The method is informative and has been successfully used in pediatric urological practice around the world for many years.
Diaphanoscopy. The study allows you to describe the outer surface of the testicles. With the help of a special lamp, doctors detect the presence of abnormal fluid. The method is quite informative and safe. Also does not cause pain even in the smallest patients.

Effects

The prognosis is usually good. In 80% of cases, complete recovery occurs after treatment. Timely diagnosis and the appointment of the correct treatment are very important for cure. Optimally selected therapy leads to the complete elimination of adverse symptoms. Even in adulthood, boys do not experience any significant abnormalities in reproductive function.

In about 20-25% of cases, long-term adverse effects may occur. Most often this is a violation of reproductive function and the development of male infertility. Prolonged squeezing of the testicles with liquid leads to persistent hypoxia. Such oxygen starvation of organs contributes to the formation of disorders in spermatogenesis. This disturbed process causes the formation of non-viable sperm.

Also, chronic dropsy of the testicles contributes to the development of concomitant diseases of the urinary tract in the boy. Violation of the outflow of fluid from the scrotum can lead to conditions accompanied by increased intra-abdominal pressure. The protracted course of the disease leads to the appearance of an inguinal hernia in the child. This condition requires surgical treatment.

Treatment

Disease therapy should be prescribed in a timely manner. The sooner the pathology is established, the higher the chances of a complete cure. Usually, with the right tactics, recovery takes place by the onset of three years of age. The choice of treatment remains with the pediatric urologist. To draw up tactics, the doctor must take into account several factors: the age of the baby, the presence of concomitant diseases, the state of immunity, as well as the individual anatomical characteristics of the child.

Currently, the following methods are used to eliminate the signs of dropsy of the testicles in babies:

Wait-and-see tactics. Surgical treatment is usually not performed until one and a half years. Often this time is enough for the final formation of the male genital organs in young boys. In this case, the duct between the abdominal cavity and the scrotum is completely closed, which contributes to the normal formation of fluid between the membranes of the testicles in the future.
Surgery. Performed in boys over two years of age. Currently, various operations are used in urological practice. They are aimed at eliminating abnormal fluid in the scrotum, as well as to normalize the functioning of the male genital organs. In the presence of an inguinal hernia, an operation is also performed to eliminate it.
If symptoms of dropsy of the testicles have arisen, then various medications are used. These medications reduce swelling and inflammation in the affected area. Usually urologists prescribe them only for a course appointment. The constant use of pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications for dropsy of the testicles in newborns is not required.

Medical supervision of a newborn child or infant with this pathology should be regular. Any deviations should be identified and rectified in a timely manner. Surgical treatments are resorted to only if all previous therapeutic methods are ineffective.

Doctors categorically do not recommend treating dropsy of the testicles at home. This can only contribute to the transition of the disease into a chronic form. Some babies, after carrying out such home treatment methods, only develop persistent allergic reactions. To treat dropsy of the testicles in a child should only be with the obligatory participation of a urologist.