The key difference between inguinal hernia and hydrocele is that inguinal hernia occurs when abdominal organs protrude into the inguinal canal or scrotum, while hydrocele occurs when there is a collection of fluid within a pouch, causing swelling in the groin region or scrotum.
Inguinal hernia and hydrocele are two types of medical conditions that affect the groin region or scrotum. About 1-5 % of children will have either an inguinal hernia or hydrocele. Moreover, boys are about 8 to 10 times more likely to have these conditions than girls. Both of these medical conditions are treated by urologists.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Inguinal Hernia
3. What is Hydrocele
4. Similarities – Inguinal Hernia and Hydrocele
5. Inguinal Hernia vs Hydrocele in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Inguinal Hernia vs Hydrocele
What is Inguinal Hernia?
An inguinal hernia is a medical condition occurring when abdominal organs protrude into the inguinal canal or scrotum. This condition normally occurs when a tissue such as part of the intestine protrudes through a weak spot in the abdominal muscles. Inguinal hernia results in a bulge that can be painful, when people cough, bend over, or lift a heavy object. Though inguinal hernia is not dangerous, it might lead to life-threatening complications. Signs and symptoms of an inguinal hernia include a bulge in the area on the sides of the pubic bone, pain or discomfort in the groin, burning or aching sensation at the bulge, a heavy or dragging sensation in the groin, occasional pain and swelling around the testicles, weakness or pressure in the groin, nausea, vomiting, fever, sudden pain that quickly intensifies, a hernia bulge that becomes red, purple or dark, and inability to move bowels or pass gas.
Figure 01: Inguinal Hernia
Moreover, an inguinal hernia can be caused by increased pressure within the abdomen, a pre-existing weak spot in the abdominal wall, straining during bowel movements, urination, strenuous activity, chronic coughing, or sneezing. Furthermore, an inguinal hernia can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging tests (abdominal ultrasound, CT scan, MRI). Concerning the treatment, an inguinal hernia is treated through hernia operation, including open hernia repair and minimally invasive hernia repair.
What is Hydrocele?
Hydrocele is a medical condition that occurs when there is a collection of fluid within a pouch. It causes swelling in the groin region or scrotum. It occurs when fluid is collected in the thin sheath surrounding a testicle. Hydrocele is normally common in newborns and disappears without treatment by age one. However, older boys and adults can develop a hydrocele due to inflammation, infections such as sexually transmitted disease, or injury within the scrotum. Symptoms of hydrocele include painless swelling of one or both testicles, discomfort from the heaviness of a swollen scrotum, pain that usually increases with the size of the inflammation, and swollen areas that might be smaller in the morning and larger later in the day.
Figure 02: Hydrocele
Hydroceles can be diagnosed through physical examination, blood test, urine test, ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI. Furthermore, hydrocele is treated through a surgical operation such as hydrocelectomy under general or regional anesthesia.
What are the Similarities Between Inguinal Hernia and Hydrocele?
- Inguinal hernia and hydrocele are two types of medical conditions that affect the groin region or scrotum.
- About 1-5 % of children will have either an inguinal hernia or hydrocele.
- Boys are about 8 to 10 times more likely to have these conditions than girls.
- Both conditions may have similar symptoms, such as pain and swelling in the groin or scrotum.
- Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging testing.
- They are treated by urologists.
- They are treated mainly through surgeries.
What is the Difference Between Inguinal Hernia and Hydrocele?
Inguinal hernia is a medical condition that occurs when abdominal organs protrude into the inguinal canal or scrotum, while hydrocele is a medical condition that occurs when there is a collection of fluid within a pouch that creates swelling in the groin region or scrotum. Thus, this is the key difference between inguinal hernia and hydrocele. Furthermore, an inguinal hernia can be caused by increased pressure within the abdomen, a pre-existing weak spot in the abdominal wall, straining during bowel movements or urination, strenuous activity, chronic coughing, or sneezing. On the other hand, hydrocele can be caused due to inflammation, infection such as sexually transmitted disease, or injury within the scrotum.
The below infographic presents the differences between inguinal hernia and hydrocele in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Inguinal Hernia vs Hydrocele
Inguinal hernia and hydrocele are two different types of medical conditions that affect the groin region or scrotum. Both of these conditions may cause symptoms such as pain and swelling in the groin or scrotum. Inguinal hernia occurs when abdominal organs protrude into the inguinal canal or scrotum. Hydrocele occurs when there is a collection of fluid within a pouch that produces swelling in the groin region or scrotum. So, this summarizes the difference between inguinal hernia and hydrocele.
Reference:
1. “Inguinal Hernia.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
2. “Hydrocele: Treatment, Causes & Symptoms.” Cleveland Clinic.
Image Courtesy:
1. “A man with an Inguinal Hernia” By Myupchar (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Ultrasonography of hydrocele” By Mikael Häggström, M.D – Own work (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia