What is hydrocele?

➢ Most common cause of scrotal swelling ➢ Idiopathic or arise in response to neighboring infections or tumors ➢ Caused by an accumulation of serous fluid within the tunica vaginalis. ➢ The clear fluid of a hydrocele allows light to pass through (transluminescence), distinguishing it from collections of blood, pus, or lymph, all of which are cloudy or opaque. ➢ Accumulation of blood or lymphatic fluid within the tunica vaginalis, termed hematocele and chylocele, respectively, also may cause scrotal enlargement. ➢ In extreme cases of lymphatic obstruction, caused, for example, by filariasis, the scrotum and the lower extremities may enlarge to grotesque sizes—a condition termed elephantiasis