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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staff
A spermatocele is unlikely to cause complications.
However, if your spermatocele is painful or has grown so large that it's causing you discomfort, you may need to have surgery to remove the spermatocele. Surgical removal may damage the epididymis or the vas deferens, a tube that transports sperm from the epididymis. Damage to either can reduce fertility. Another possible complication that can occur after surgery is that the spermatocele may come back.
References
- Spermatoceles. American Urological Association Foundation. http://www.urologyhealth.org/urology/index.cfm?article=117. Accessed Dec. 7, 2011.
- Brenner JS, et al. Causes of painless scrotal swelling in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 7, 2011.
- Tiemestra JD, et al. Evaluation of scrotal masses. American Family Physician. 2008;78:1165.
- Wampler SM. Common scrotal and testicular problems. Primary Care Clinics Office Practice. 2010;37:613.
- Montgomery JS. The diagnosis and management of scrotal masses. Medical Clinics of North America. 2011;95:235.
- Painless scrotal mass. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/genitourinary_disorders/symptoms_of_genitourinary_disorders/painless_scrotal_mass.html. Accessed Dec. 7, 2011.
- Jahnson S, et al. A randomized trial comparing 2 doses of polidocanol sclerotherapy for hydrocele or spermatocele. The Journal of Urology. 2011;186:1319.
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