The scrotum can grow to an enormous size due to an accumulation of lymph. There are many underlying causes. One is the wearing of a clamp around the penis which passes behind the scrotum. This type of tourniquet does not generally lead to problems if continued for only a short time, and sometimes greatly adds to sexual pleasure.
Lymphoedema is caused by the accumulation of lymph in subcutaneous tissue. A Sanskrit book shows that treatments for lymph — oedema of the penis and scrotum were practised as long ago as the third century bc. Worldwide the most common cause is filariasis. It is a disease in which the lymph canals become clogged by worms. Other causes include erysipelas, tuberculosis, syphilis, leprosy and cancer in the pelvis minor. Sometimes the cause is the total absence of any lymph vessels in that area: this is in fact an innate abnormality, the results of which usually manifest themselves only after the age of four.
There are various possible treatments, for example the use of diuretic pills, supporting bandages (cycling shorts are excellent), an operation to make connections between lymph vessels and veins, and best of all, the complete removal of the diseased tissue and the covering of the lower layers with skin grafts.