Epidemiological and therapeutic aspects of the vaginal hydroceles in the regional hospital of Dapaong (Togo)

Objectives To describe the epidemiology and the treatment of vaginal hydrocele in a filarial endemic area. Patients and methods This was a retrospective descriptive study of patients admitted and treated in the General Surgery Service of the Regional Hospital of Dapaong (Togo) for hydrocele, diagnosed on clinical and paraclinical evidence. Results One hundred and nineteen patients were operated over six years and represented 54% of the activity in urologic surgery. Among them, 19.3% were under fifteen years old and had the hydrocele since childhood, while the average disease duration was 9 years in adults. Hydrocele was bilateral in 15% of patients. Removal of the peritoneo-vaginal canal was accomplished in all patients under fifteen years and hydrocelectomy using the technique of Bergmann was conducted in adult patients. There was no mortality and the morbidity was 11%, mainly parietal suppuration and scrotal hematoma. Conclusion Vaginal hydrocele is a frequent pathology in the tropics and requires surgical management. Reducing its impact in our communities can be accomplished through eradication of lymphatic filariasis.