Objective: Evaluation of the effectiveness of rifampicin and some agents used in the pleurodesis of pleural effusions, such as autologous blood and purified mineral talc.Patients and methods: A total of 56 hydroceles were treated by sclerotherapy, in a random fashion, using purified mineral talc, rifampicin and autologous blood as sclerosant agents. The control group of patients were handled with aspiration only.Results: The cohort of patients in the blood group had a success rate comparable to the control group (p > 0.05). the rifampicin group did better than both control and blood groups (p < 0.05) but not better than the talc group (p < 0.01). Success rate was highest in the talc group of patients who needed no re-sclerotherapy procedures.Conclusion: Purified mineral talc was shown to be potentially the best sclerosant for the sclerotherapy of hydroceles and epididymal cysts.