What causes effusion in children?

Moreover, there are many types of effusion diseases in children. The most common one is tendon sheath effusion. The patient will not feel any pain at the beginning of the disease, so he will not feel it. But as the disease becomes more serious, the child will feel pain. Generally, some will choose surgery, while others will choose medication. It depends on the age of the child, the severity of the disease and the specific cause.

Hydrocele in children is caused by excessive accumulation of peritoneal fluid in the sac through the patent processus vaginalis. Depending on the failure of the processus vaginalis to close and the location of the fluid accumulation, it is divided into two types: spermatic cord hydrocele and testicular hydrocele. Hydrocele can be seen in children of all age groups, most of whom are boys, and girls occasionally have hydrocele. It's called a Muck's cyst.

Since the processus vaginalis may continue to be blocked after birth, the lymphatic system of the tunica vaginalis tends to mature and a small amount of fluid can be gradually absorbed by itself, so hydrocele in children may heal itself. The younger the age, the less fluid accumulation and the higher the self-healing rate. Children older than 1 year old are less likely to recover on their own and often require surgical treatment.

Hydrocele in children often presents as a lump in the groin or on one or both sides of the scrotum that grows slowly and does not cause pain. If the diameter of the processus vaginalis is relatively large, the lump will be smaller in the morning after lying flat all night. The mass was cystic, positive in the radiolucency test, with clear boundaries and no obvious continuity with the abdominal cavity. After the mass is squeezed, its tension can be reduced, but there is no obvious reduction in volume. The mass of hydrocele is located in the spermatic cord. It is small and oval in shape. The testicles can be felt below the mass. The mass of testicular hydrocele hangs at the bottom of the scrotum and is oval or round in shape. If the mass has high tension, the testicles cannot be felt; if the tension is not high, the testicles can be felt inside the cystic mass. Ultrasound examination showed a cystic mass. It can be differentiated from other intrascrotal masses (testicular tumors, incarcerated hernias).

If the amount of hydrocele in children is large and the tension is very high, it may affect testicular blood circulation and damage testicular function. It is advisable to perform high ligation of the processus vaginalis. If the child is young, the disease course is short, the amount of effusion is small, and the tension is low, the child can be observed and followed up until the disease resolves on its own. Observe until about 1 year old, and provide treatment if no improvement is seen. The prognosis of hydrocele in children after surgery is good.

Hydrocele in adults is often caused by trauma or infection, which is different from the pathogenesis of hydrocele in children and the surgical methods are also different.