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Testicular Lumps, Pain, Major Worries
First off, this will be a fairly long post. I am extremely OCD, suffer from depression and high levels of anxiety, and am a major hypochondriac.
Back in 2007 or so I first developed a lump attached to one of my testicles. A while later one developed on the other as well.
I first mentioned it to my doctor shortly after finding the first, I am extremely paranoid about getting any type of disease and cancer is the big scare so I didn't sit around and worry too long after feeling a lump. He felt it and immediately said he didn't think it was cancer and had no reason to even send me to a urologist, he put me on an antibiotic, it shrunk a little (I think, can't really confirm that), then came back to it's current size. It's a little larger than a green pea, but smaller than a lima bean.
When I got the second one (same size) I waited a bit longer but eventually went back in 2011.
He once again did not seemed concerned but we scheduled to have an ultrasound primarily for my peace of mind. I went, the doctor inspected them first, they did the ultrasound, they said it was not cancerous but I can't remember what they called it. I think either a Spermatocele or Epididymal Cyst I think. They seemed very professional and the lady doing the ultrasound even walked me through it on the screen describing what she saw. After the doctor reviewed it all with me and told me to "relax and leave the boys alone" as I had complained about some dull pain, which he thought was from my constant messing with them checking for changes.
Fast forward now to 2014 and the lumps are still there but have not grown in size at all. I check them weekly. My only concern though is I have had more dull pain again. It feels isolated directly in the testicle region and the "tubes" around them.
I decided to go back to the doctor, another one this time as I moved, and told him about my past as mentioned above. He asked some questions then did the whole turn your head and cough to check for a hernia and then inspected them, he told me he thought the same thing as my other doctor said especially since the lumps are located at the top area of the testicles and seem to be connected or right near the epidydamis (doubt I spelt that right). He labeled it on my paperwork as Epididymal Cysts.
He sent me home and asked that I have the ultrasound results from 2011 sent to him and if the pain becomes bad that we may talk about options to fix it. He ran blood work and my testosterone levels came back low. This of course freaked me out and he wants to check back up on it in 6 weeks and do another blood test. I know it could not be related, but....
I have no other symptoms. The lumps have not changed size, sometimes I think one will be a little smaller sometimes but never larger.
***Important Note*** I did an experiment the other day where my wife and I had no sexual activity and sure enough the dull pain started to fade away, it came back after we were intimate. Once again the pain is a dull ache, not really painful, not even enough to remotely affect my life, just scared it's something serious.
I may possibly just be freaking myself out. Cancer has been a big thing in the family the past few years, I just found out a family member's cancer came back and it's terminal now. Most of these new "symptoms" developed after that news, so I may just be going crazy.
Am I scaring myself for no reason? Does this sound like cancer?
Back in 2007 or so I first developed a lump attached to one of my testicles. A while later one developed on the other as well.
I first mentioned it to my doctor shortly after finding the first, I am extremely paranoid about getting any type of disease and cancer is the big scare so I didn't sit around and worry too long after feeling a lump. He felt it and immediately said he didn't think it was cancer and had no reason to even send me to a urologist, he put me on an antibiotic, it shrunk a little (I think, can't really confirm that), then came back to it's current size. It's a little larger than a green pea, but smaller than a lima bean.
When I got the second one (same size) I waited a bit longer but eventually went back in 2011.
He once again did not seemed concerned but we scheduled to have an ultrasound primarily for my peace of mind. I went, the doctor inspected them first, they did the ultrasound, they said it was not cancerous but I can't remember what they called it. I think either a Spermatocele or Epididymal Cyst I think. They seemed very professional and the lady doing the ultrasound even walked me through it on the screen describing what she saw. After the doctor reviewed it all with me and told me to "relax and leave the boys alone" as I had complained about some dull pain, which he thought was from my constant messing with them checking for changes.
Fast forward now to 2014 and the lumps are still there but have not grown in size at all. I check them weekly. My only concern though is I have had more dull pain again. It feels isolated directly in the testicle region and the "tubes" around them.
I decided to go back to the doctor, another one this time as I moved, and told him about my past as mentioned above. He asked some questions then did the whole turn your head and cough to check for a hernia and then inspected them, he told me he thought the same thing as my other doctor said especially since the lumps are located at the top area of the testicles and seem to be connected or right near the epidydamis (doubt I spelt that right). He labeled it on my paperwork as Epididymal Cysts.
He sent me home and asked that I have the ultrasound results from 2011 sent to him and if the pain becomes bad that we may talk about options to fix it. He ran blood work and my testosterone levels came back low. This of course freaked me out and he wants to check back up on it in 6 weeks and do another blood test. I know it could not be related, but....
I have no other symptoms. The lumps have not changed size, sometimes I think one will be a little smaller sometimes but never larger.
***Important Note*** I did an experiment the other day where my wife and I had no sexual activity and sure enough the dull pain started to fade away, it came back after we were intimate. Once again the pain is a dull ache, not really painful, not even enough to remotely affect my life, just scared it's something serious.
I may possibly just be freaking myself out. Cancer has been a big thing in the family the past few years, I just found out a family member's cancer came back and it's terminal now. Most of these new "symptoms" developed after that news, so I may just be going crazy.
Am I scaring myself for no reason? Does this sound like cancer?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello,
It looks like epididymal cyst. An epididymal cyst is a swelling containing watery liquid lying just above the testicle and is an incidental finding mostly. An epididymal cyst is unlikely to be the cause of any erection problems or infertility except indirectly if it's painful when it may become infected.
It does not cause infertility and you should be able to father a child. If it is causing any pain, then it can be treated by sclerotherapy of surgical excision.
It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.
It looks like epididymal cyst. An epididymal cyst is a swelling containing watery liquid lying just above the testicle and is an incidental finding mostly. An epididymal cyst is unlikely to be the cause of any erection problems or infertility except indirectly if it's painful when it may become infected.
It does not cause infertility and you should be able to father a child. If it is causing any pain, then it can be treated by sclerotherapy of surgical excision.
It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.
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