title: Functional voiding disturbances of the ampullo-vesicular seminal tract: a cause of male infertility.
abstract: We present herein six cases of male sterility due to purely functional ampullo-vesicular tract voiding disturbances, out of a series of 94 vasovesiculographies performed on selected patients with suspected obstructive azoo-or oligozoospermia. This pathology was suspected from the particular seminal vesicle ultrasonographic pictures (anechoic areas) and the absence or marked reduction of the vesicular component in the ejaculate. The non-anatomic cause of the ampullo-vesicular voiding disturbance was demonstrated by means of the vesiculographic images and by the finding of large amounts of spermatozoa in the fluid obtained by micturition or bladder catheterism after seminal tract washout during vasovesiculography. Until now and to the best of our knowledge, only four other such cases were described in Literature, although documented in a different way (Ichijo et al., 1981). We may suppose that this new syndrome, possibly due to a local neurological defect, could be a not so rare cause of male infertility. Therapeutical attempts are also described.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004542:Ejaculation; D004543:Ejaculatory Ducts / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000032:analysis; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D012661:Semen / Q000032:analysis / Q000166:cytology; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000032:analysis; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone