Physical Exam

Male Genital Exam

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Video coming September 2026

How to Perform

With consent and a chaperone, and the patient standing if possible, inspect the penis (retracting the foreskin if present), urethral meatus, and scrotum for skin changes, lesions, or swelling. Palpate the shaft, then each testis, epididymis, and spermatic cord between thumb and fingers, noting size, consistency, tenderness, or masses, and transilluminate any scrotal swelling. Examine for an inguinal hernia by invaginating the scrotal skin to the external ring and asking the patient to cough.

How to Interpret

This test’s findings are all below your current evidence filter.

References

Cocuzza MS, Tiseo BC, Srougi V, Wood GJA, Cardoso JPGF, Esteves SC, Srougi M. Diagnostic accuracy of physical examination compared with color Doppler ultrasound in the determination of varicocele diagnosis and grading: impact of urologists' experience. Andrology. 2020;8(5):1160-1166. doi:10.1111/andr.12797. PMID: 32289199.
Bickley LS, Szilagyi PG, Hoffman RM, Soriano RP. Bates' Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2021.
Swartz MH. Textbook of Physical Diagnosis: History and Examination. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025.