Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
Varicocele in a 13-Year-Old | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
I took my 13-year-old son to the doctor and was told he had an enlarged or bulging vein in his scrotum. I was told I needed to take him to a surgeon. He is nervous and I am unsure how to help him understand because I don't understand it myself. Can you please tell me how to find information on this problem?— Confused in Springfield, Ma | | | ANSWER |
November 13, 2001 | | | Dear Confused,
Anytime a doctor finds something wrong with a child's scrotum--the bag of skin that holds the testicles--it makes parents very nervous. Luckily, the chances are good that your son is actually fine. The scrotum contains a network of veins, which return blood from the testicle back into the body. When these veins swell up, it is called a varicocele (pronounced vara-co-SEAL), which means simply a mass caused by swollen veins.
Varicoceles are common. About one boy in seven has a varicocele, usually appearing after the beginning of puberty and often on the left. Most varicoceles never cause any problems at all. Sometimes they ache. Rarely, if a varicocele reduces the blood flow from the testicle enough, it can lead to decreased fertility in the testicle on that side. So it is a good idea to have it checked out. When necessary, surgery done as an outpatient procedure (not requiring an overnight stay) can usually restore normal blood flow.
It's understandable that a 13-year-old boy would be nervous. The scrotum and testicles are obviously important to a teenage boy's identity, and any hint that there might be something wrong is sure to be scary. It may reassure your son to know that swollen veins in the scrotum are almost always something that can be taken care of easily and completely. Since you are going to see the surgeon, there's no sense in pretending that everything's fine, however you can honestly tell him that everything is likely to turn out OK in the end.
One of the things that makes problems in the scrotum especially concerning is that while teenage boys often joke about their "balls," most have very little idea about what is actually inside their scrotums. It may help to go to your local library and check out a basic anatomy textbook to look at with your son. That should provide you both with a better sense of where the problem lies and what the doctors are talking about.— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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