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Pain - testicle
The testicles sit inside the scrotum. They are very sensitive. Even a minor injury can cause pain or discomfort to the testicles. Sudden, severe testicle pain, however, requires immediate medical care.
If a young man has abdominal pain, the scrotum should always be carefully examined. Abdominal pain may occur before testicle pain in some conditions, including testicular torsion. This is a twisting of the testicles that can cut off the blood supply and cause tissue to die. Testicular torsion is an emergency that needs to be treated within hours.
Testicular cancer is usually painless. But any testicle lump should be evaluated by your doctor, whether or not there is pain.
Common causes of testicle pain include:
Possible infections include:
Fluid in the testicles often causes painless swelling, but may cause mild discomfort. There are several main types of fluid collection:
Pain may also be caused by a hernia or an unrelieved erection.
Trojian TH, Lishnak TS, Heiman D. Epididymitis and Orchitis: An Overview. Am Fam Physician. April 2009; 79(7).
Turgut AT, Bhatt S, Dogra VS. Acute Painful Scrotum. Ultrasound Clinics. Jan 2008; 3(1).
Schneck FX, Bellinger MF. Abnormalities of the testes and scrotum and their surgical management. In: Wein AJ, ed. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 127.
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