I have a hydrocele around my left testicle. i am having ultrasound scan tomorrow to rule out cancer although th doctor seems pretty confident it isnt. i think its the result of heavy lifting but no hernia detected. what is the cause if not a hernia?

The testis travel from the abdomen to the scrotum during pregnancy. They travel in an envelope of tissue, like shrink wrap that is supposed to tightly adhere to the testis & blood vessels they contain. The envelope remains a point of access where fluid alone or a hernia may enter from above. Why you only have fluid & not a complete hernia may just be luck.

Cancer of testicle at your age is very rare. It is not the result of heavy lifting- which would expose both the testicles if it was that. The testicle is covered by a sac like an envelop Sometimes varying amount fluid accumulates in this sac. Most of the time the cause is unknown and benign. Hernia is when the contents of the abdomen come down in the scrotum thru the groin (indirect hernia).