Testicular Veins in Men

For thousands of years, doctors have known about a condition in men, where they have Varicose veins surrounding one or both of their testicles. This is called a "Varicocele".

It is also described as a "Bag of Worms" as this is the feeling of the dilated veins hanging in the scrotum.

In men, the testicle hangs outside of the body in the scrotum and so the varicoele can seen and felt easily. The weight of the blood in the veins around the testicle causes an "aching" or "dragging" feeling that can become very uncomfortable.

As with many things in Medicine, if it can be seen easily, doctors accept it and understand it. Such is the way with varicoceles in men which are easily diagnosed and treated.

Development of Testicular Veins

The reason that varicoceles develop can be seen from how the testicle develops (See animation on right).

When a foetus is developing before birth, the testicle grows up by the kidney.

As the baby grows, the testicle "descends" into the pelvis and then out into the scrotum. It takes its vein (the testicular vein) with it on this journey.

The two testicular veins are very long, and so are prone to suffer from valves to fail - causing blood to fall back into the veins which dilate under the backward flow - and a Varicocele is formed.