Establishment of an animal model of ejaculatory duct obstruction.

This study aimed to establish animal models with different degrees of ejaculatory duct obstruction. Forty-eight male rats aged 14-15 weeks were randomly divided into three groups (n = 16): control, complete ejaculatory duct obstruction (tied around the lower seminal vesicle gland and ductus deferens with a 2-0 silk ligature), and partial ejaculatory duct obstruction (padded with a wire guide). Mortality, complications, seminal vesicle morphology and histopathology were compared in the three groups at 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively. In the complete ejaculatory duct obstruction group, seminal vesicle weight decreased gradually with increased obstruction time compared with those of the control group (p < 0.05); moreover, stone-like material was occasionally observed. In the partial ejaculatory duct obstruction group, there was an increase followed by a decrease in seminal vesicle weight in the postoperative period compared with that of the control group (p < 0.05). Histopathological lesions of seminal vesicles were observed in the complete and partial ejaculatory duct obstruction groups (8 weeks postoperatively). We successfully established animal models of complete and partial ejaculatory duct obstruction, which provide an easy-to-use tool for studying seminal vesicle changes after ejaculatory duct obstruction.

Case Report: Mucinous Adenocarcinoma Arising From Congenital Ejaculatory Duct Cyst.

Herein we present a previously unreported rare case of mucinous adenocarcinoma arising from a congenital ejaculatory duct cyst. Radiographic and endoscopic examinations revealed the tumor occurred in a cyst running through the prostate. Initially, the immunohistochemical pathology results showed that it was a metastatic mucinous adenocarcinoma, but no other primary lesions were clinically evidenced. Based on the embryonic development process of the male urogenital tract, the malformation of the patient's ejaculatory duct, and the pathological examination of the resected specimen, we considered the tumor to be a primary mucinous adenocarcinoma which originating from the hypoplastic ejaculatory duct. The tumor may have developed from the foci of intestinal metaplasia from cloacal remnants during embryonic development.

[Ectopic seminal tract opening in enlarged prostatic utricle: A report of 22 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnosis, classification and treatment of ectopic seminal tract opening in enlarged prostatic utricle (EPU). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 22 cases of ectopic seminal tract opening in EPU confirmed by spermography, EPU open cannula angiography or intraoperative puncture of the vas deferens and treated by transurethral incision of EPU, cold-knife incision or electric incision of EPU, full drainage of the anteriorwal, and open or laparoscopic surgery from October 1985 to October 2017. RESULTS: Five of the patients were diagnosed with ectopic opening of the vas deferens and the other 17 with ectopic opening of the ejaculatory duct in EPU. During the 3－48 months of postoperative follow-up, symptoms disappeared in all the cases, semen quality was improved in those with infertility, and 2 of the infertile patients achieved pregnancy via ICSI. CONCLUSIONS: Ectopic seminal tract opening in EPU is rare clinically. Spermography is a reliable method for the diagnosis of the disease, and its treatment should be aimed at restoring the smooth flow of semen based on proper classification and typing of the disease.

Defects in efferent duct multiciliogenesis underlie male infertility in GEMC1-, MCIDAS- or CCNO-deficient mice.

GEMC1 and MCIDAS are geminin family proteins that transcriptionally activate E2F4/5-target genes during multiciliogenesis, including Foxj1 and Ccno Male mice that lacked Gemc1, Mcidas or Ccno were found to be infertile, but the origin of this defect has remained unclear. Here, we show that all three genes are necessary for the generation of functional multiciliated cells in the efferent ducts that are required for spermatozoa to enter the epididymis. In mice that are mutant for Gemc1, Mcidas or Ccno, we observed a similar spectrum of phenotypes, including thinning of the seminiferous tubule epithelia, dilation of the rete testes, sperm agglutinations in the efferent ducts and lack of spermatozoa in the epididymis (azoospermia). These data suggest that defective efferent duct development is the dominant cause of male infertility in these mouse models, and this likely extends to individuals with the ciliopathy reduced generation of multiple motile cilia with mutations in MCIDAS and CCNO.

Etiology of 305 cases of refractory hematospermia and therapeutic options by emerging endoscopic technology.

To investigate the surgical outcomes of vesiculoscopy on refractory hematospermia and ejaculatory duct obstruction (EDO), the clinical data (including pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations and the long-term effects of endoscopic treatment) from 305 patients were analyzed. Four main etiologic groups were found on MRI. We found that 62.0% (189/305) of patients showed abnormal signal intensity in MRI investigations in the seminal vesicle (SV) area. Cystic lesions were observed in 36.7% (112/305) of the patients. The third sign was dilatation or enlargement of unilateral or bilateral SV, which were observed in 32.1% (98/305) of the patients. The fourth sign was stone formation in SV or in an adjacent cyst, which was present in 8.5% (26/305) of the patients. The transurethral endoscopy or seminal vesiculoscopy and the related procedures, including fenestration in prostatic utricle (PU), irrigation, lithotripsy, stone removal, biopsy, electroexcision, fulguration, or transurethral resection/incision of the ejaculatory duct (TURED/TUIED), chosen according to the different situations of individual patients were successfully performed in 296 patients. Fenestrations in PU+ seminal vesiculoscopy were performed in 66.6% (197/296) of cases. Seminal vesiculoscopy via the pathological opening in PU was performed in 10.8% (32/296) of cases. TURED/TUIED + seminal vesiculoscopy was performed in 12.8% (38/296) of cases, and seminal vesiculoscopy by the natural orifices of the ejaculatory duct (ED) was performed in 2.4% (7/296) of cases. Electroexcision and fulguration to the abnormal blood vessels or cavernous hemangioma at posterior urethra were performed in 7.4% (22/296) of cases. Two hundred and seventy-one patients were followed up for 6-72 months. The hematospermia of all the patients disappeared within 2-6 weeks, and 93.0% of the patients showed no further hematospermia during follow-up. No obvious postoperative complications were observed. The transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy technique and related procedures are safe and effective approaches for refractory hematospermia and EDO.

Transurethral ablation of a prostatic utricle cyst with the use of a holmium laser.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate a safe and effective approach to the treatment of obstructing midline prostate utricle cyst with the use of a holmium laser. DESIGN: Video presentation. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): A 33-year-old man presented with chronic pelvic pain, pain with ejaculation, and infertility. Semen analysis demonstrated oligoasthenospermia with poor viability and computerized tomographic scan identified the presence of a midline 2-3-cm prostatic cyst with dilated seminal vesicles bilaterally. Transrectal ultrasound in the office confirmed the diagnosis of midline obstructing prostatic utricle cyst and estimated the distance from the urethra. INTERVENTION(S): Transurethral ablation of a midline prostate utricle cyst with the use of a holmium laser. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Intraoperative technique highlighting the main steps for a transurethral ablation of a midline prostate utricle cyst with the use of a holmium laser. RESULT(S): This video highlights the technique for transurethral ablation of a midline prostate utricle cyst with the use of a holmium laser to unroof the cyst. Retrograde vesiculography was performed to confirm patency of the ejaculatory ducts. Outpatient surgery was tolerated well and the patient was discharged. After surgery at 4 weeks, his symptoms had abated and semen analysis revealed normozoospermia. CONCLUSION(S): We demonstrate safe and effective transurethral ablation of a midline prostate utricle cyst with the use of a holmium laser. Preoperative transrectal ultrasound or cross-sectional imaging can be useful for operative planning. When the orifices of the ejaculatory ducts can be identified, vesiculography can be performed to confirm patency of the ducts and seminal vesicles after relief of the obstructing cyst.

[Diagnosis and treatment of ejaculatory duct cyst: A report of 2 cases and review of the literature].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of ejaculatory duct cyst. METHODS: This study included 2 male patients present at the hospital for hemospermia and abnormal sensation in the perineal region in July and August 2014. Both underwent transrectal ultrasonography, routine semen examination, CT, MRI, cystoscopy, and vesiculography before transurethral fenestration of the cysts and pathological examination of the cyst wall specimens. Analyses were made on the clinical presentations, imaging features, pathological characteristics, differential diagnosis and treatment of ejaculatory duct cyst and relevant literature was reviewed. RESULTS: The cyst wall was mainly composed of smooth muscle, the inner wall lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelia, and with positive expressions of CD10 and Muc6 proteins on immunohistochemical staining, which indicated renal iatrogenic ejaculatory duct cyst. The patients were followed up for 18 and 20 months, respectively. All symptoms disappeared and no recurrence occurred after surgery. Routine semen examination for the two patients showed the semen volumes to be 3.5 and 3.1 ml, sperm concentrations 35 and 32 ×106/ml, grade a sperm 32.0 and 26.0%, grade b sperm 18.0 and 31.0%, and semen liquidation time 30 and 34 minutes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic cystic masses can be detected by transrectal ultrasonography, CT and MRI, but definite diagnosis relies on vesiculography, pathological examination and immunohistochemical staining. Transurethral fenestration is safe and effective for the treatment of ejaculation duct cyst.

Original investigations into the diagnosis and treatment of ejaculatory dysfunction.

The method employed is simple, harmless and-above all-not objectionable to patients. In cases such as those described, it is preferable to other therapeutic measures, which are too often both prolonged and useless. -Schellen T. Induction of ejaculation by electrovibration. Fertil Steril 1968;19(4):566-9. Retrograde ejaculation was associated with stricture of the urethra of long standing. A tight stricture may allow passage of urine but not semen, which is more viscid. -Girgis SM, Etriby A, El-Hefnawy H, Kahil S. Aspermia: a survey of 49 cases. Fertil Steril 1968;19(4):580-8.

Urothelial metaplasia of the seminal vesicle and ejaculatory duct associated with crossed-fused renal ectopia and Hutch diverticulum of the bladder.

The presence of urothelial epithelial metaplasia in a seminal vesicle is an exceptionally rare finding. We describe a unique case of urothelial metaplasia of the seminal vesicle and ejaculatory duct, found in a radical prostatectomy specimen from a patient with complex urogenital anatomy. A 70-year-old patient with organ confined (pT2) prostatic adenocarcinoma (Gleason score 3+4 = 7) had a right-sided Hutch diverticulum and a left crossed-fused renal ectopia. Although the histogenesis of urothelial metaplasia in the seminal vesicle remains unclear, in the patient presented herein it likely developed as a consequence of the previously unrecognized malformation.

Prostate cancer reporting and staging: needle biopsy and radical prostatectomy specimens.

Prostatic adenocarcinoma remains the most common cancer affecting men. A substantial majority of patients have the diagnosis made on thin needle biopsies, most often in the absence of a palpable abnormality. Treatment choices ranging from surveillance to radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy are largely driven by the pathologic findings in the biopsy specimen. The first part of this review focuses on important morphologic parameters in needle biopsy specimens that are not covered in the accompanying articles. This includes tumor quantification as well as other parameters such a extraprostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphovascular invasion. For those men who undergo radical prostatectomy, pathologic stage and other parameters are critical in prognostication and in determining the appropriateness of adjuvant therapy. Staging parameters, including extraprostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion, and lymph node status are discussed here. Surgical margin status is also an important parameter and definitions and reporting of this feature are detailed. Throughout the article the current reporting guidelines published by the College of American Pathologists and the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting are highlighted.

Large bilateral seminal vesicle calculi presenting with spermolithiasis.

A 34-year-old male presented with an 8-month history of passing increasingly painful 'grit' in his ejaculate. Semen analysis was normal as were urinary and blood tests. T1-weighted MRI revealed several bilateral high-signal areas measuring up to 1 cm in diameter, located in the seminal vesicles. These were confirmed as calculi on T2-weighted imaging and a seminal vesiculogram, with no drainage from the left ejaculatory duct and only minimal from the right duct. He is currently awaiting a robot-assisted laparoscopic vesiculotomy after completion of family.

Seminal Tract Amyloidosis: Synchronous Amyloidosis of the Seminal Vesicles, Deferent Ducts and Ejaculatory Ducts.

Senile Seminal Vesicle Amyloidosis (SSVA) increases with age. Involvement of the whole seminal tract, i.e. the seminal vesicles, ejaculatory and deferent ducts was first reported by us in the International Symposium on Amyloidosis 1998. Since then we encountered four more cases of SSVA. In all these cases the ejaculatory and deferent ducts were also involved by amyloid. The amyloid was located mostly sub-epithelially, stained positively with Congo red, gave green birefringence under polarized light and was permanganate sensitive, slightly positive for lactoferrin immunostaining and negative for all known amyloid types. In recent years the amyloid was found to be derived from Semenogelin I, a major constituent of the seminal fluid which is present in the epithelial cells of the seminal vesicle and vas deference. This would explain the deposition of amyloid not only in the seminal vesicles but also in the deferent an ejaculatory ducts which transport the seminal fluid. In a review of the literature we found three more articles on SSVA in which the amyloid was not limited to the seminal vesicles alone. We propose to designate this type of amyloid as "Senile seminal Tract Amyloidosis" (SSTA) instead of "Senile Seminal Vesicle Amyloidosis (SSVA)".

Tbx18 Regulates the Differentiation of Periductal Smooth Muscle Stroma and the Maintenance of Epithelial Integrity in the Prostate.

The T-box transcription factor TBX18 is essential to mesenchymal cell differentiation in several tissues and Tbx18 loss-of-function results in dramatic organ malformations and perinatal lethality. Here we demonstrate for the first time that Tbx18 is required for the normal development of periductal smooth muscle stromal cells in prostate, particularly in the anterior lobe, with a clear impact on prostate health in adult mice. Prostate abnormalities are only subtly apparent in Tbx18 mutants at birth; to examine postnatal prostate development we utilized a relatively long-lived hypomorphic mutant and a novel conditional Tbx18 allele. Similar to the ureter, cells that fail to express Tbx18 do not condense normally into smooth muscle cells of the periductal prostatic stroma. However, in contrast to ureter, the periductal stromal cells in mutant prostate assume a hypertrophic, myofibroblastic state and the adjacent epithelium becomes grossly disorganized. To identify molecular events preceding the onset of this pathology, we compared gene expression in the urogenital sinus (UGS), from which the prostate develops, in Tbx18-null and wild type littermates at two embryonic stages. Genes that regulate cell proliferation, smooth muscle differentiation, prostate epithelium development, and inflammatory response were significantly dysregulated in the mutant urogenital sinus around the time that Tbx18 is first expressed in the wild type UGS, suggesting a direct role in regulating those genes. Together, these results argue that Tbx18 is essential to the differentiation and maintenance of the prostate periurethral mesenchyme and that it indirectly regulates epithelial differentiation through control of stromal-epithelial signaling.

An update on the diagnosis and management of ejaculatory duct obstruction.

Ejaculatory duct obstruction (EDO) remains a rare but surgically correctable cause of male sexual dysfunction and male infertility due to obstructive azoospermia, diagnosed in up to 5% of infertile men. EDO should, therefore, be considered within the list of differential diagnoses for men undergoing infertility investigations, with work up including clinical examination, transurethral ultrasonography, semen analysis, chromotubation, seminal vesiculography and seminal vesicle aspiration. Obstruction can be limited to the distal ends of the ducts or it can extend proximally to include the terminal portions of the vasa deferentia, with the site and length of the obstruction having implications for surgical intervention. Early endoscopic treatment can reverse symptoms and prevent the progression of partial obstruction to bilateral, complete obstruction, and transurethral resection of the ejaculatory duct remains the main treatment option for EDO. Alternative treatment options include endoscopic laser-assisted resection of the ducts, antegrade seminal-vesicle lavage to relieve EDO secondary to inspissated material or calculi, or dilatation of the ejaculatory ducts using 9F seminal vesicoscopy or balloon.

[Minimally invasive surgery for ejaculatory duct obstruction in infertile men].

Ejaculatory duct obstruction(EDO) accounts for 1- 5% of the causes of male infertility and can be corrected by various surgical methods,among which transurethral resection of the ejaculatory ducts(TURED) is considered as the gold standard for its treatment and has been well established in clinical practice. Transutricular seminal vesiculoscopy has been gaining more and more attention for its cost-effectiveness and few complications in the treatment of EDO. The clinical evidence for treating EDO by balloon dilatation and seminal vesicle lavage is limited and its application value needs to be further investigated. This paper presents an overview on the treatment of EDO in infertile men by minimally invasive surgery.

[Related reproductive issues on male autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease].

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a most common inherited renal disease, about 50% with a family history, although the exact etiology not yet clear. To date, ADPKD, a multisystem disorder without effective preventive and therapeutic means, has been shown to be detrimental to human health. Recent studies show that severe oligoasthenozoospermia, necrospermia, immotile sperm, azoospermia, epididymal cyst, seminal vesicle cyst, and ejaculatory duct cyst found in male ADPKD patients may lead to male infertility, though the specific mechanisms remain unknown. Structural anomaly of spermatozoa, defect of polycystin, mutation of PKD genes, and micro-deletion of the AZF gene could be the reasons for the higher incidence of abnormal semen quality in male ADPKD patients. Assisted reproductive techniques can increase the chances of pregnancy, whereas the health of the offspring should be taken into consideration. This article presents an overview of reproductive issues concerning infertile male ADPKD patients from the perspective of the morbidity, pathophysiological mechanism, diagnosis, and management of the disease.

Seminal vesicle intraepithelial involvement by prostate cancer: putative mechanism and clinicopathological significance.

We have recently shown seminal vesicle intraepithelial involvement of prostate cancer in cases with seminal vesicle invasion (pT3b). Based on the manner of seminal vesicle invasion, there could be 2 possible mechanisms of seminal vesicle intraepithelial involvement: direct intraepithelial invasion from prostate carcinoma in the muscular wall of seminal vesicles or intraepithelial involvement of cancer from the invaginated extraprostatic space (IES)/ejaculatory duct system to extraprostatic seminal vesicle. We aimed to clarify the manner and clinicopathological significance of seminal vesicle intraepithelial involvement. Of 1629 consecutive radical prostatectomies, 109 cases (6.7%) showed seminal vesicle invasion in whole-mounted radical prostatectomy specimens. In these pT3b cases, 18 (17%) showed seminal vesicle intraepithelial involvement by prostate cancer. Stromal invasion of the IES/ejaculatory duct system and ejaculatory duct intraepithelial invasion by prostate cancer were identified in 62 and 5 of 109 pT3b cases, respectively. However, the presence/absence of IES/ejaculatory duct system involvement by prostate cancer does not predict seminal vesicle intraepithelial involvement. No statistically significant correlation was observed between all pathologic parameters/biochemical recurrence and the presence/absence of seminal vesicle intra-epithelial involvement in the pT3b cases. These findings suggest that seminal vesicle intraepithelial involvement is more likely due to direct invasion of carcinoma from the muscular wall of seminal vesicles rather than intraepithelial extension from the ejaculatory duct system in the IES. Further studies with a substantially greater case number are needed to clarify the clinicopathological significance of seminal vesicle intraepithelial involvement in a better manner.

Obstructive azoospermia.

Obstructive azoospermia accounts for 40% of azoospermia and results from obstruction of the excurrent ducts (due to many causes) at any location between the rete testis and the ejaculatory ducts. The diagnosis of obstructive azoospermia (OA) requires a stepwise approach to differentiate it from nonobstructive OA and to formulate management options. Localization of the site of obstruction relies on history, physical examination, and possibly laboratory, genetic, imaging tests, and intraoperative findings. The prospects for patients with OA are excellent given recent advances in microsurgical approaches and in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Successful outcomes are increasingly likely after microsurgical reconstruction techniques, permitting non-IVF pregnancies for many couples. When reconstruction is not an option, microsurgical sperm retrieval provides excellent outcomes for patients in conjunction with IVF and ICSI.