How big is an epididymal cyst?

Epididymal cysts are generally considered large if they are larger than 1 cm. Because epididymal cysts are larger, they will squeeze the testicles, causing penile pain and erectile dysfunction. Therefore, men with epididymal cysts should choose surgery to remove them. If epididymal cysts are not removed in time, they will continue to grow larger, thus affecting men's physical health. Therefore, men can learn about how to prevent epididymal cysts from further deteriorating.

An epididymal cyst is generally considered large if it is larger than one centimeter. If it is larger than this, it will cause compression of the epididymis, pain and swelling, and affect sexual life.

You can consider doing an epididymal cystectomy. This surgical method can be a traditional one or a microsurgery. The specific situation depends on the doctor you are seeing and the doctor's technical strength.

A cyst is usually a scar left after epididymitis. The cyst itself will not cause much impact. Only when the cyst increases in size will it cause a certain amount of pressure, in which case surgery is required.

How to prevent epididymal cyst from getting bigger

If an epididymal cyst causes complications or becomes a source of anxiety for the patient, it should be surgically removed. A small scrotal incision is sufficient to move, separate, and remove the cyst, and the surgical results are often very good. During the operation, the doctor will carefully separate the cyst from the testicle and epididymis, and then remove it completely. In the past, the simple method of draining the fluid and injecting a hardening agent to shrink the cyst was not reliable, and it often recurred or caused infection, which brought difficulties to future operations. Therefore, surgical removal is now advocated.

Complications of epididymal cyst

The complications of surgical removal of epididymal cysts are mild and rare, including scrotal hematoma, infertility (if the epididymis is removed), and testicular atrophy if the blood supply to the testicles is affected. Middle-aged and elderly patients who no longer need to have children can receive small doses of local X-ray irradiation, which can promote cyst atrophy without obvious side effects.

Causes of Epididymal Cyst

The cause of the disease is not very clear yet. It may be related to sexual stimulation, chronic infection of the testicular epididymis, or partial obstruction of the duct that transports sperm. However, clinical practice has shown that patients do not develop clear fluid cysts after vasectomy, which shows that the obstruction theory is not valid. Its appearance may also be related to local damage or infection of sexually transmitted diseases. Others have proposed that the epididymal duct at the head of the epididymis bends, turns, or forms a diverticulum. With the passage of time and the continuous accumulation of sperm, the diverticulum tubules continue to increase, thus forming a spermatocele. When the epididymis is blocked or scarred due to inflammation or trauma, a spermatocele can also occur.

How to prevent epididymal cyst from getting bigger

To know where the epididymis is, we should first understand the anatomy of the testis, epididymis and vas deferens. Sperm produced by the testis enters the reticular duct at the head of the epididymis through the seminiferous duct, gradually moves forward, and is then discharged from the vas deferens through the urethra.

The cause of epididymal cyst may be that the epididymal duct is blocked by local inflammatory adhesions, or a small single epididymal vas deferens is blocked and fluid is retained in the duct, forming a cyst.