Histomorphologic Changes of the Contralateral Testis in Unilateral Inguinal Cryptorchidism / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: The pathogenesis of infertility in unilateral cryptorchidism remains unclear. We studied prospectively to evaluate the cause concerning potential infertility in unilateral inguinal cryptorchidism.Materials and Methods: Between Feb 1998 and July 2000, 30 specimens were taken by ipsilateral undescended and contralateral descened testicular biopsies in 15 unilateral inguinal cryptorchid boys (age range: 1-11 years, mean: 4.7 years). Control testicular biopsies were performed in 5 hydrocele boys (age range: 1-9 years, mean: 5.1 years). We performed histomorphologic analysis including spermatogonia per tubule (S/T) value, Sertoli cell index (SCI), tubular degeneration phase V-VII (TDP V-VII), mean tubular diameter (MTD), and changes of peritubular interstitial tissue (thickened tubular basement membrane and peritubular fibrosis). RESULTS: Testis volume, S/T value, and MTD were significantly different between ipsilateral cryptorchid and contralateral testes. However, there was no significant difference between ipsilateral cryptorchid and contralateral testis in SCI, TDP V-VII, and changes of peritubular interstitial tissue. We found significant difference between contralateral and control testis in testis volume, S/T value, MTD, TDP V-VII, and changes of peritubular interstitial tissue except SCI.Conclusions: Decreased testis volume, S/T value, MTD and increased TDP V-VII of contralateral testis are associated with germinal hypoplasia. These findings may explain the pathogenesis of infertility in unilateral inguinal cryptorchidism.

Comparisons of the effects of testicular torsion through a scrotal wall incision and an abdominal wall incision on the contralateral testis in prepubertal rats / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Unilateral spermatic cord torsion has been shown to cause damage to the contralateral testis in humans and animal models. In the present paper, we have examined contralateral testes of prepubertal Sprague-Dawley rats 14 days after 720 torsion to determine the effect of scrotal surgery versus abdominal approach and to determine the effect of therapeutic orchiectomy versus detorsion. Torsion periods were 2. 6 and 24 hours. Histologic examinations of contralateral testis at the end of the experiment demonstrate that all rats of both the orchiectomy and detorsion groups had a significantly reduced mean seminiferous tubular diameter compared to controls (p<0.001). But the groups of abdominal approach had a smaller reduced mean seminiferous tubu1ar diameter than the groups of scrotal approach. These results indicate that these contralateral alterations seem to be caused by generalized perineal inflammatory responses as well as immunologic responses.

The Effect of Testicular Torsion on the Contralateral Testis in Rats; Histologic Changes and its Reversibility

Unilateral torsion of the testis was experimentally induced in Sprague-Dowley rats by an incision in the scrotum and manual rotation of the testis. The testes remained torted for 3 or 24 hours and then were released by detorsion or orchiectomy. Histologic changes were evaluated 2 weeks and 4 weeks post torsion episode in order to answer the following questions:(1) Does the duration of testicular torsion affect the degree of histologic change in the contralateral testis? (2) Does the treatment of the torted testis influence the contralateral testis histologically? (3) Are there any histologic differences according to the duration of the follow-up in each group? The results indicate that when a torted testis was kept in place for at least 24 hrs, then was a marked decrease in spermatogenesis, but even this histologic change disappeared 4 weeks later. In conclusion a torted testis may present a liability to the patient's contralateral testis, but this phenomena is temporal.