hi

[ferrari51592]

im 18 yrs old and am not sure wat i should do. I have a small painless bump on my left testicle, but i've had for a year if not more and it hasnt grown or anything so what could it be

[Fernando Roque, MD]

Hi.  Any of the conditions I enumerated in my earlier post can appear as a pea-sized, firm mass.  A testicular ultrasound can help determine the nature of your lump.  The doctor who will examine you will likely order this test if he thinks that the lump may be abnormal.  Again, my advise is for you to seek consult soon, so you can avoid all the anxiety that comes from not knowing what that lump is.

[ferrari51592]

Ok, Doc
Its Pea-shaped and pea-sized and is not soft, but somewhat harder
please post thoughts
Thanks

[Fernando Roque, MD]

Hi.  Can you describe that lump in more detail? How big is it? What's the shape? What is its consistency (hard, soft, doughy, etc.)?  I haven't actually seen the lump, so I can only  guess as to what it might be.  It is possible for the lump to be the epididymis, a convoluted clump of ducts through which the sperm produced by the testicles passes through.  It could appear as a small soft lump beside the testicle.  Other possibilities include a varicocoele (a clump of dilated blood vessels near the testicle) or an hernia ( a condition where a weakness in the abdominal wall causes some of its contents to protrude into the scrotum, causing a "lump" to appear).  Another possibility is malignancy, which can present as a firm to hard, painless solid mass.  It would be best to go to a doctor and have yourself examined just to check if its anything serious.