Testicular atrophy is the decrease in testicle size. The cells of the organ become smaller and, consequently, the whole testicle gets smaller. The main symptom of testicular atrophy is difference in size between the testicles. The atrophied testicle is usually smaller or softer than the other.
The causes of testicular atrophy are varied, and may occur due to organ compression, lack of hormonal stimuli, disturbances in local blood circulation, loss of innervation, inflammation, among others.
One of the main causes of testicular atrophy is varicocele, which are varicose veins in the testicle. It is an abnormal dilatation of the veins of the spermatic cord, responsible for draining the blood from the testicles. As a result, blood becomes stagnant in the testicle and circulation is compromised, which can lead to organ atrophy.
Testicular atrophy can occur in up to half of the patients who during childhood had orchitis (inflammation of the testicle) caused by the virus mumps.
It is popularly said that the mumps "went down", but in reality it was the virus that reached the testicle and caused inflammation, leaving the scrotum swollen. Usually orchitis affects only one testicle, which suffers atrophy in about 50% of cases.
Another cause of testicular atrophy is torsion of the testicle, which blocks the blood flow of the organ. The main symptom is the severe pain, which does not improve with anything. If not diagnosed early, twisting may progress to necrosis (death) of the testicle due to lack of blood supply.
Learn more in: Testicular pain after intercourse, is it normal?
The treatment of testicular atrophy depends on its cause and the problem may be reversible. The urologist is the specialist physician responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of testicular atrophy.
