ABSTRACT
The hydroceles, according to their etiology, are classified into three types: idiopathic, congenital, and secondary. The idiopathic hydrocele, or primary or essential, is a common condition which develops slowly and affects all age groups, including babies, in the temperate, subtropical, and tropical countries. The etiology of this type of hydrocele, in spite of many studies and theories that go back at least 250 years, has not been clarified. The congenital, communicating or peritoneovaginal hydrocele is of frequent occurrence in infancy and childhood. Etiologically, the hydrocele of infancy and childhood may be divided in congenital and secondary. Traumas of the scrotum and its content, either accidental or postoperative, in most cases results in an acute hydrocele. This congenital syndrome, of which more than 500 cases have been reported in the literature, consists of a development defect involving the first two pharyngeal arches. These defects affect mainly the mandible, teeth, face, and external ear.
