What is scrotal prolapse?

The testicle is one of the male organs that secretes hormones, which affects male fertility. Therefore, it is particularly important to protect the scrotum, because the testicle is oval in shape and the size of an ordinary plum. Since it lives inside the scrotum, the scrotum usually droops. Therefore, it usually droops to regulate the temperature and avoid the influence of the temperature environment on the testicle. But it also has other reasons, which are introduced in detail below.

1. Air conditioning function

The function of regulating temperature is to protect the testicles inside at a suitable temperature. If you observe carefully, you will find that when in a cold environment, the scrotal skin will shrink and thicken, causing the scrotum to be pulled up and tense, and the surface area will shrink. At this time, the temperature of the testicles in the scrotum will not drop. On the contrary, in a higher temperature environment, the scrotal skin will naturally relax and shrivel, causing the scrotum to sag and the surface area to increase. This is conducive to dissipating body temperature, preventing the temperature in the scrotum from rising, and protecting the testicles from producing sperm in a suitable temperature environment. Therefore, the contraction and relaxation of the scrotum is a normal physiological regulation phenomenon. This is the case for all men with normal development. Inflammation

2. If scrotal sagging is accompanied by swelling and pain, it may be inflammation, such as:

(1) Acute non-specific orchitis: Acute non-specific orchitis often occurs in patients with urethritis, cystitis, prostatitis, prostatectomy, and long-term indwelling catheters. The infection spreads to the epididymis through the lymph or vas deferens, causing epididymal orchitis. Common pathogens include E. coli, Proteus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Bacteria can spread through the bloodstream.

(2) Chronic non-specific orchitis: Chronic orchitis is often caused by incomplete treatment of non-specific acute orchitis.

It can be caused by fungal, spirochetal, or parasitic infections, such as testicular syphilis. Patients with previous testicular trauma may develop granulomatous orchitis. Local or systemic radioactive isotope phosphorus irradiation of the testicles may also cause orchitis, destroying the testicular tissue. Pathologically, the testicles are enlarged or hardened and atrophied, the basement membrane of the seminiferous tubules is hyalinized and degenerative, and the spermatogenic epithelial cells disappear. There may be hardening around the seminiferous tubules, and small hyperplastic foci may also form.

(3) Acute mumps orchitis: Mumps is the most common cause of orchitis. About 20% of mumps patients have orchitis. It is more common in late adolescence. The testicles are highly enlarged and purple-blue in color. When the testicles are cut open, the testicular tubules cannot be squeezed out due to the reaction and edema of the interstitial tissue. Histological observations show edema and vascular dilation, a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrate, and varying degrees of degeneration of the seminiferous tubules. When orchitis heals, the testicles become smaller and soft. The seminiferous tubules are severely atrophied, but the testicular interstitial cells are preserved, so the secretion of testosterone is not affected.