What is testicular atrophy? Testicular atrophy means shrinkage of the testicles (testicles), the two male sex glands located in the scrotum. The primary function of the scrotum is to regulate the temperature of the testicles, which it does by contracting in response to cold temperatures and relaxing in response to warmer temperatures. This can sometimes cause the testicles to feel larger or smaller than usual. However, testicular atrophy refers to an actual reduction in the size of the testicles. This can be due to several reasons which include – injury, health problem or exposure to certain chemicals. What are the symptoms of testicular atrophy? While the main symptom of testicular atrophy is the shrinkage of one or both testicles, some other symptoms may accompany the condition, depending on the age of the patient. Symptoms before puberty Patients who have not gone through puberty may have additional symptoms of testicular atrophy, which include failure to develop secondary sexual characteristics, such as: Facial hair; Pubic hair; Increase in penis size Symptoms after puberty In patients who have gone through puberty, additional symptoms of testicular atrophy may include: Decreased sex drive; Infertility; Reduced muscle mass; Absent or reduced facial hair; Absent or reduced genital hair What are the causes of testicular atrophy? One of the main causes of testicular atrophy is orchitis (inflammation of the testicles). Its main symptoms are testicular pain and swelling, but it can also cause nausea and fever. While the swelling may initially make the testicles appear larger, orchitis may eventually lead to testicular atrophy. There are two main types of orchitis: Viral orchitis. It is usually caused by the mumps (mumps) virus. Up to a third of men who suffer from mumps after puberty develop orchitis. This often happens within four to seven days of having mumps. Bacterial orchitis. This type of orchitis is often due to sexually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. In some cases, the condition is caused by an infection in the urinary tract or by having a catheter or other medical instrument inserted into the urinary tract. Bibliography: Healthline. Understanding Testicular Atrophy National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Primary and secondary testicular atrophy