palpation

Last reviewed 01/2018

Ask if the scrotum is tender, warm your hands and be gentle. Support the scrotum on the fingers of one or both hands. Feel the testis and any lump or swelling between your index finger, which is placed behind the scrotum, and the thumb, placed in front. Do not the squeeze the testis or lump. Instead let the contents of the scrotum slip from side to side between your index finger and thumb in order to deduce the shape and surface.

Check that there are two testes. Try and define the anatomy of the scrotal contents - the position and nature of the body of each testis, each epididymus and the cords.