What is a hydrocele and what causes them?
A hydrocele is a very common condition affecting boys, where a fluid filled sac develops inside the scrotum, making it look swollen. It is not painful and feels like a balloon filled with water. One or both sides of the scrotum can be affected. While your child was developing in the womb, the testicles were developing inside the abdomen. Towards the end of pregnancy, the testicle travel through a passage into the scrotum. A hydrocele can develop when this passage fails to close, allowing fluid from the abdomen to flow through it to the scrotum. This causes the fluid-filled sac to develop. Hydroceles can be associated with a hernia, but a thorough check up of the groin area will confirm or rule out the chance of a hernia. For more information, please see our leaflet Hernias in children.
