Bleeding from the scrotum can be a scary thing for an individual, especially when it seems to continue for a longer than ‘normal’ time. There can be quite a few causes for this to happen.
Trauma
The most common cause of bleeding from the scrotum is trauma. Because of the exposed nature of the male genitalia, injuries to this area are more common than one would think. Shaving the area, as is customary these days, almost always results in small injuries to the area. Prolonged bleeding, however, should not occur in the case of a slight injury unless the person suffers from a pre-existing bleeding disorder.
Rarely, patients that are on a blood thinner or other medication that interferes with the clotting mechanism may also continue to see prolonged bleeding from relatively small nicks or cuts.
In these bleeding disorders, the blood does not clot as quickly as it should or may not clot at all in severe conditions. Such conditions require immediate hospital attention.
Angiokeratoma
The other cause for prolonged bleeding from the scrotum is a rare condition called as Angiokeratoma of Fordyce (after the scientist who first described it, John Addison Fordyce). An Angiokeratoma describes a flat or slightly raised papule (basically a bump) that has blood vessels running through it.
A study of these lesions in the lab has shown that the blood vessels run very close to the surface in these lesions and hence they have a tendency to start bleeding at a very slight nick or maybe even spontaneously.
An Angiokeratoma may be singular although it usually occurs in groups and can be found in other parts of the body as well. If these bumps or angiokeratomas are found all over the body, then a condition called as Fabry’s disease should be suspected. Fabry’s disease is a potentially life-threatening condition.
Differential Diagnosis
Doctors will conduct specific tests to rule out certain other conditions like sexually transmitted diseases, malignancies, hemorrhoids and Fabry’s disease.
Treatment
An angiokeratoma is a benign condition that is typically not serious unless misdiagnosed or treated incorrectly. Patients have often suffered because the condition was mistaken for something else and over-treated.
An Angiokeratoma or multiple angiokeratomas are not going to disappear on their own and do require some intervention. The treatment may be in the form of laser ablation, electrofulguration, cryotherapy or excising the papule with a blade.
Conclusion
Bleeding from any part of the body does not happen without a specific cause for it. In the case of bleeding from the scrotum, patients often end up becoming anxious, scared and end up worsening the condition through hastily taken decisions.
The only thing you should do in such a condition is to apply sustained pressure for about half an hour and make your way to the doctor who will determine the further course of action.