My brother asked me the other day if he should see a doctor because it was swollen "down there" for a couple years and now after cutting down a tree with my dad last weekend it's been hurting. My brother is a very active guy so I know it's quite possible that he may have a hernia and he should definitely go see a doctor. However, this doctor told him that he just has a varicose vein after sending him for an ultrasound. That may be the case but I looked up hernias and this is what I found. http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/understanding-hernia-basics

Is is possible that what the doctor thought was a varicose vein could actually be his intestine? Or are varicose veins common in a 24-year-old that does not have a varicose vein anywhere else?

What's stopping your brother from seeking a second opinion? (Why do you think we might know? We haven't seen your brother "down there.")

He's scared to get a second opinion. My question was whether you can see intestines in an ultrasound or if there was any way they might have mistaken them for a varicose vein.

Why would he be scared? Neither a varicose vein or a hernia is any big deal.