After epididymitis occurs, there can be local hardening of the epididymis. During acute infection, there is swelling of the epididymis, which causes increased tension and therefore hardening of the epididymis. However, during chronic infection, fibroblast proliferation can occur, resulting in the formation of fibrous scars, which can lead to a hardened texture. In the acute stage, the hard texture may be accompanied by obvious pain, while in the chronic stage, a fibrous scar is formed, which may appear to have a hard texture but is not accompanied by obvious pain when touched. Generally, after active treatment of epididymitis, the acute stage is over and there are few chronic epididymal nodules left and no hardening will occur. However, if the treatment is not complete, or if the inflammation is heavy, then after the inflammation has healed, there will be a hardening of the texture, which can cause blockage of the epididymal duct and make it difficult to output sperm. If the epididymis is hardened bilaterally, it may cause obstructive azoospermia, which may lead to infertility.