Hard Testicles

[Tomahawk]

Hello, can anyone help?

To give you some background, I am now 31 and about 5 years ago I got the mumps. I suffered with orchitis from the mumps which resulted in very soar and swollen testicles (both of them). They then died down and went back to normal. I did a home fertility check which showed normal sperm fertility.

Just over a year ago my right testicle swelled up again but was very hard to touch and at about the same time my left testicle shrunk.

I went to see a Urologist who sent me for an ultrasound which showed I had a varicocele in my left testicle and both testicles were inflamed. I have since have varicocele embolization for my left testicle. He prescribed me some antibiotics for the inflamation which didn't seem to have any affect.

At the moment my right testicle has now gone to a normal size and the left is still smaller but what is really worrying me is that they are both so hard. I'm not in any real pain, they are just a bit uncomfortable. I have had another ultrasound which again shows inflamation in both testicles and thankfully no tumours.

Added to this my wife and I are trying for a baby and we are struggling because I now have very poor fertility.

Can anyone suggest what is causing this inflamation and will my testicles ever go back to normal and is my recent problems connected to the orchitis I had 5 years ago.

Thanks

Tomahawk

[Dr_Veena]

Hi,
      Thanks for writing in. Recurrent inflammation of testicles can be due to obstructed epididymal, STD’s etc. But hard testicles could be due to atrophy or tumors. The common complications of mumps orchitis are testicular atrophy, shrinkage of testicles.
I would suggest that you repeat a scrotal ultrasound , semen analysis and visit a urologist for further assistance.
Best.