Significance of epididymal and ductal anomalies associated with undescended testis: study in 652 cases

Abstract

Objective: We have long been interested in epididymal and ductal anomalies associated with cryptorchidism in the literature. We decided to study their prevalence in our cases due to the significance of these anomalies in patients' future fertility.

Methods: We studied six hundred fifty-two testes treated for failed descent in our department and evaluated the epididymal and ductal anomalies we observed intraoperatively.

Results: Epididymal and vasal anomalies occurred with an overall frequency of 36 percent (235 of 652 cases). Flimsy attachment of the head of epididymis to the testis constituted the most common anomaly.

Conclusions: The prognosis of future fertility should consider the epididymal anomalies detected at orchiopexy. Such anomalies may coexist with excellent testis histology so that fertility impairment may occur based on sperm transport, despite the preservation of germ cells by early orchiopexy.