Hernia testicular enlargement

Testicular enlargement due to hernia usually occurs in newborns, when the baby's reproductive organs have not yet fully developed. In addition, prolonged crying due to physical discomfort can easily lead to testicular hernia. At this time, mothers do not need to worry too much. As long as they ensure that the baby does not cry for a long time in the future, this situation will gradually improve. In addition, if an adult has this situation, it is likely to be a scrotal hernia, and must actively go to the hospital for treatment.

Scrotal hernia accounts for 1% to 2% of male malignant tumors and is divided into primary and secondary types.

The vast majority are primary and are divided into two categories: germ cell tumors and non-germ cell tumors. Germ cell tumors occur in the reproductive epithelium of the seminiferous tubules, accounting for 90% to 95% of scrotal hernias. Among them, seminoma is the most common, grows slowly, and the prognosis is generally good; non-seminomas such as embryonal carcinoma, teratoma, and choriocarcinoma are relatively rare, but have a high degree of malignancy, early lymphatic and hematogenous metastasis, and a poor prognosis. Non-germ cell tumors occur in testicular stromal cells, accounting for 5% to 10%, and originate from testicular stromal cells such as fibrous tissue, smooth muscle, blood vessels, and lymphatic tissue. Secondary scrotal hernia is rare.

Scrotal hernia is not common, accounting for only 1% of all malignant tumors in the body. According to statistics from around the world, the incidence of scrotal hernia varies by region and race, with a higher incidence in Europe and America and a lower incidence in China. However, scrotal hernia is given special attention for the following reasons.

① After the 1970s, there were breakthroughs in treatment, which reduced the mortality rate from 50% to around 10%.

② It is the most common cancer in young people aged 15 to 35, because young people can withstand strict comprehensive treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.

③ There is a tendency to differentiate, either spontaneously or after treatment, from malignant to benign, such as metastatic cancer turning into benign teratoma after chemotherapy. If the mechanism can be understood, it may be possible to differentiate malignant tumors into benign tumors.

④The tumor secretes marker substances that can be detected in the blood, which is not common in other tumors.

Causes of scrotal hernia

The cause of the tumor is still not completely clear, and it may be related to viral infection, environmental pollution, endocrine abnormalities, injuries and genetics. At present, relevant data have proved that there are 5 factors that can promote the occurrence of scrotal hernia: cryptic testis, previous testicular germ cell tumor, family history, true hermaphroditism and infertility. The incidence of cryptic testis malignancy is 30 to 50 times higher than that of normal testicles that descend into the scrotum. According to literature reports, scrotal hernia occurs in 1 out of every 20 abdominal cryptic testes or 1 out of every 80 inguinal cryptic testes.

Cryptorchidism is considered a risk factor for scrotal hernia, and the chance of developing tumors is 3 to 4 times higher than that of normal testicles. 7% to 10% of scrotal hernias occur in cryptorchidism. It is observed that surgery after the age of 10 cannot prevent it, but surgery before the age of 10 can significantly reduce it, and surgery before the age of 3 can prevent tumors.

In addition, scrotal hernia is also related to genetics, polymastia, traumatic testicular atrophy, hormones, etc.