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Urology (Expert Forum)
Ascending Testicles
Questions in the Urology forum are answered by Dr. Stephen Liroff, affiliated with the Henry Ford Hospital. Topics covered include benign prostate disease, penis curvature, cystisis, kidney stones, pediatric urology, prostate, sexual dysfunction, urinary tract infections (UTI), and urological cancers.
Ascending Testicles
by Anthony__0, Jul 21, 1998 12:00AM
I read in another post that it is normal for the testicles to rise high in the scrotum, close to the body, just prior to and during ejaculation. What happens to me sometimes is that one testicle, usually my right one, goes so high that it is actually out of the scrotum and can be felt in my lower pelvic area. I can feel the testicle under the skin and "nudge" it back down into the scrotum. Is this normal, or should the testicle not go up that high?
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Dear Anthony,
Movement of the testicles up and down in the scrotum is related to a reflex called the cremasteric reflex. The formation and maturation of sperm in the testicles requires an environment slightly cooler than the core body temperature. Therefore, different stimuli may cause the cremasteric muscles to contract and pull one or both testicles high in the scrotum and sometimes almost into the inguinal canal (pretty high up). Since the testicles originally descend through the inguinal canal shortly before birth on migration from the abdomen to the scrotum, there may be some residual laxity of the muscles that may allow the testicle to ascend relatively high in the scrotum with a cremasteric reflex. However, this should not be a source of concern since your testicles are “descended” and just retract high into the scrotum. What you may feel to be a pelvic position of the testicle during a cremasteric reflex may just be a high scrotal position which is essentially normal.
I have read a few of the comments and discussion that has been generated by your original question and do not think that your symptoms are necessarily indicative of a hernia, although one could always be present. Your doctor would be the best person who can evaluate that after examining you. Wish you the best.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition. More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its satellites (1 800 653 6568).
Sincerely,
HFHS M.D.-JJ
*Keyword: cremasteric reflex
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Dear Anthony,
Movement of the testicles up and down in the scrotum is related to a reflex called the cremasteric reflex. The formation and maturation of sperm in the testicles requires an environment slightly cooler than the core body temperature. Therefore, different stimuli may cause the cremasteric muscles to contract and pull one or both testicles high in the scrotum and sometimes almost into the inguinal canal (pretty high up). Since the testicles originally descend through the inguinal canal shortly before birth on migration from the abdomen to the scrotum, there may be some residual laxity of the muscles that may allow the testicle to ascend relatively high in the scrotum with a cremasteric reflex. However, this should not be a source of concern since your testicles are “descended” and just retract high into the scrotum. What you may feel to be a pelvic position of the testicle during a cremasteric reflex may just be a high scrotal position which is essentially normal.
I have read a few of the comments and discussion that has been generated by your original question and do not think that your symptoms are necessarily indicative of a hernia, although one could always be present. Your doctor would be the best person who can evaluate that after examining you. Wish you the best.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition. More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its satellites (1 800 653 6568).
Sincerely,
HFHS M.D.-JJ
*Keyword: cremasteric reflex
