OVERVIEW
This page is dedicated to organizing various examples of standardized exam questions whose answer is varicocele. While this may seem a odd practice, it is useful to see multiple examples of how varicocele will be characterized on standardized exams (namely the boards and the shelf exams). This page is not meant to be used as a tradition question bank (as all of the answers will be the same), however seeing the classic “test” characterization for a disease is quite valuable.
QUESTION EXAMPLES
Question # 1
A 15 year old boy is brought tot eh physician because of a 4 month history of a dragon sensation in his right scrotum. He was worth at 31 weeks gestation and had a right scrotal hydrocele during infancy that spontaneously resolved. Both of his testes appear well descended. When the patient stands up his right scrotum hands lower then the right, and there is soft tissue mass near the top of his right tests that feels like a bag of worms. In the supine position the mass almost completely disappears. What is the likely diagnosis?
Explanation: bag of worms feeling in scrotum = varicocele
Question # 2
A 25 year old male comes to the clinic due to a left scrotal mass that he first was aware of 2 months ago. The patient reports scrotal heaviness, as well as an increase in the size of the mass after prolonged standing. HIs symptoms improve when he is lying down. The patient denies any scrotal trauma. He is sexually active, and uses condoms regularly. A physical examination reveals an irregular, soft mass int he left scrotum above and distinct from the left testis. The mass does not transilluminate, and enlarges during the valsalva maneuver. What might be the cause of this patient’s presentation.
Page Updated: 11.08.2016