Testicular Disorders

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Summary

Testicles, or testes, make male hormones and sperm. They are two egg-shaped organs inside the scrotum, the loose sac of skin behind the penis. It's easy to injure your testicles because they are not protected by bones or muscles. Men and boys should wear athletic supporters when they play sports.

You should examine your testicles monthly and seek medical attention for lumps, redness, pain or other changes. Testicles can get inflamed or infected. They can also develop cancer. Testicular cancer is rare and highly treatable. It usually happens between the ages of 15 and 40.

Diagnosis and Tests

Genital Problems in Men (American Academy of Family Physicians)
Testicle Pain (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Testosterone Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Ultrasound - Scrotum (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

How to Do a Testicular Self Examination (Testicular Cancer Resource Center)

Treatments and Therapies

Testicular torsion repair - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Varicocele Embolization (American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish

Specifics

Blood in Semen (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Discolored Semen: What Does It Mean? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Epididymitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Hydrocele (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Orchitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Scrotal Masses (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Spermatocele (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Testicular Torsion (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Varicocele (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Health Check Tools

Genital Pain in Men (DSHI Systems)
Scrotum Swelling (DSHI Systems)
Testicular Injury (DSHI Systems)
Testicular Pain (DSHI Systems)

Videos and Tutorials

Varicocele Surgery (BroadcastMed) - Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY, 2/24/2009

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Cryptorchidism (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Genital Diseases, Male (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Testicular Diseases (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Glossary for Testicular Cancer and Related Conditions (Testicular Cancer Resource Center)
Testicle (Testicular Cancer Resource Center)

Children

Communicating Hydrocele (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
Hydrocele repair - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Male Reproductive System (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Retractile Testicle (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Undescended Testicles (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
What Is a Pediatric Urologist? (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

Testicular Exams (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Testicular Injuries (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Testicular Torsion (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Varicocele (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

Anorchia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Hydrocele (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Hydrocele repair (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Orchitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Scrotal masses (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Testicle lump (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Testicle pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Testicular self-examination (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Varicocele (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish