Inguinal abscess

　　Inguinal abscess is often caused by prolonged wearing of sweat-soaked clothing or sitting or lying in damp places, external invasion of damp toxins; or due to itching and scratching, injury and contamination; or due to irregular diet, overeating of greasy and thick foods, indulgence in cold and raw foods, spleen losing its healthy function, internal generation of damp-heat, damp-heat descending to the meridians of the liver and kidney, causing the accumulation of damp-heat toxins in the scrotal area, Qi and blood stasis, leading to the formation of abscess. It is closely related to local injuries, fungal infections, scratching, and failure to maintain hygiene.

　　Inflammatory infection can lead to local inguinal lymphadenitis; in some purulent infections, the local abscess, severe infection, and marked edema can affect the normal function of the testicle and epididymis, even leading to infection spread and complications such as epididymitis; scrotal abscess can cause redness, swelling, and pain in the scrotum, alternating with chills and fever, fever, aversion to cold, or mild chills, dry mouth, preference for cold drinks, red and hot urine, and dry stools, and other systemic symptoms.

　　Initially, the scrotal area appears red and swollen, with a burning sensation and marked tenderness. The inguinal lymph nodes are enlarged. The swelling of the scrotum progresses rapidly, even swelling as large as a watermelon, with a feeling of sagging and pain. In cases of scrotal cellulitis, the scrotum is diffusely red and swollen, with marked edema and may not necessarily suppurate. In cases of scrotal abscess, the redness and swelling of the scrotum are more localized and prominent, and may be accompanied by fever, aversion to cold, or mild chills, dry mouth, preference for cold drinks, red and hot urine, dry stools, and other systemic symptoms. After treatment, the fever subsides and the pain stops, and the swelling can subside rapidly. If the fever does not subside and the swelling and pain do not decrease, it may turn into an abscess.

　　1. Handle scrotal injuries in a timely and correct manner, pay attention to maintaining the cleanliness and dryness of the scrotal area. In cases of local fungal infection or skin damage, please actively seek treatment and avoid scratching to prevent secondary bacterial infection.

　　2. Avoid wearing tight clothing to prevent affecting local blood circulation and leading to decreased resistance.

　　3. Lift the scrotum with a scrotal support band, elevate it appropriately, and relieve pain. For those who have had the abscess incised and drained, attention should be paid to ensure unobstructed drainage.

　　4. Avoid eating fishy, spicy, and stimulating foods.

　　1. Local examination:Redness, swelling, burning sensation, and tenderness in the scrotal area, accompanied by enlargement of the inguinal lymph nodes. In cases of scrotal abscess, the redness and swelling of the scrotum are more localized and prominent, and may be accompanied by fever, aversion to cold, or mild chills; in cases of scrotal cellulitis, the scrotum is diffusely red and swollen, with marked edema.

　　2. Laboratory Examination:Blood routine can show an increase in white blood cell count, percentage of neutrophils, and count.

　　Pay attention to a light diet, eat more vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins and fiber, avoid spicy and刺激性 foods, and eat more tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, winter melon, and other foods; at the same time, appropriate nutritional supplements can be strengthened, and more soy milk, fish, and other foods can be eaten, but attention should be paid not to consume too much sugar and fat, as the occurrence of these infectious diseases is often related to sugar and fat metabolism, and high-fat, high-polysaccharide foods can worsen the condition.

　　Firstly, Internal Treatment Method

　　Damp-heat descending to the scrotum causes redness, swelling, heat, heaviness, and pain, and is resistant to palpation; there is swelling and pain in the inguinal glands during pus formation, with focal swelling in the scrotum that has a fluctuating sensation when pressed; may be accompanied by fever, thirst, and a preference for cold drinks, and red and hot urine; the tongue is red with a yellow greasy or dry coating, and the pulse is wiry and rapid or tense.

　　1. Differential Diagnosis:Damp-heat in the Liver Channel descends to the scrotum, obstructs the meridians and collaterals, and blood and Qi circulation is not smooth, so the scrotum becomes red, swollen, hot, heavy, and painful, and is resistant to palpation; the Liver Channel runs along the inguinal region, so there is swelling and pain in the inguinal glands; heat is excessive, causing flesh corruption, so there is local pus formation, with focal swelling in the scrotum that has a fluctuating sensation when pressed; heat is a Yang pathogen, easily injures body fluid, so there is fever, thirst, and a preference for cold drinks; damp-heat disturbs the bladder, causing abnormal Qi transformation, so there is red and hot urine; the tongue is red with a yellow greasy or dry coating, and the pulse is wiry and rapid or tense, indicating the downward flow of damp-heat.

　　2. Treatment Method:Clearing heat and dampness, detoxifying and reducing swelling:

　　3. Prescriptions:Long Dan Xie Gan Decoction or modified Xie Re Decoction. For those who have formed pus, add Tian Hua Fen, Zao Jiao Ci, and Chuan Shan Jia to expel toxins and pus.

　　Secondly, External Treatment Method

　　For those who have not formed pus, apply Yu Lu San, Jin Huang San, or Shuang Bai San with cold water to make a paste for cold compress. If the redness and swelling area is large, use San Huang Decoction (Da Huang, Huang Bai, Huang Qin) to decoct the soup for cold wet compress, frequently change the compress, maintain cold and wet, which is conducive to inflammation, swelling, and pain relief. For those who have formed pus, timely incision for pus drainage should be performed, with the principle of choosing the incision closest to the abscess focus and conducive to drainage. It is advisable to cut straight with a blade, paying attention to avoid injury to the tunica vaginalis and testicles, and drainage is generally performed with rubber sheets or half-circular rubber tubes.