Prevalencia de hidrocele en pacientes mayores de 18 años tratados en el servicio de urología del Hospital Docente de la Policía Nacional de Guayaquil en el periodo 2019 – 2022.

Abstract

Hydrocele is a pathology characterized by a collection of abnormal serous fluid between the parietal and visceral layers of the tunica vaginalis. The etiology is very varied associated with other pathologies. The objective of the study is to describe the prevalence of hydrocele in patients who have been treated in the urology service at the Teaching Hospital of the Guayaquil National Police in the period 2019-2022. It is an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study. The main results show that the prevalence of hydrocele is 2.71% of all cases that attend the urology service. Regarding its etiology, it occurred in 34% of cases of congenital hydrocele while 66% were cases of acquired hydrocele. The age group where the highest proportion was presented between the ranges of 30 to 39 years and 60 to 69 years with a percentage of 25% in both groups. The most affected scrotum was the left one with 55% while the symptom that most occurred was edema of the scrotum with 65% accompanied by pain in 35%. The most widely used diagnostic method is ultrasound of the scrotum and its content, with 55% of cases having a mild presentation. Regarding its complications, it is not so frequent, occurring in 0.2% of patients. Hydrocele is associated with other pathologies, so it is important to differentiate between them for proper treatment, thus improving the patient's quality of life.