Unilateral absence of the scrotal vas deferens associated with contralateral mesonephric duct anomalies resulting in infertility: laboratory, physical and radiographic findings, and therapeutic alternatives.
Ten patients who presented for infertility had unilateral absence of the scrotal vas deferens and a contralateral mesonephric duct anomaly, including contralateral ejaculatory duct or epididymal/vasal obstruction. The details of the physical examination, semen analysis and transrectal ultrasound led to an accurate preoperative diagnosis in each case. Therapeutic manipulations appropriate in this group included transurethral resection of the ejaculatory duct, microscopic vasoepididymostomy and microsurgical sperm aspiration coupled with in vitro fertilization. Only 3 patients had ipsilateral renal agenesis or ectopia (30%), which is well below the stated percentage for patients with unilateral vasal agenesis (90%). An aberration in the proper sequence of mesonephric embryological development may partly explain this bilateral constellation of abnormalities.
New England Male Reproductive Center, Boston University School of Medicine/University Hospital, Massachusetts 02118.
S
S
Hall
R D
RD
Oates
D000328:Adult; D004543:Ejaculatory Ducts / Q000002:abnormalities*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000601:surgery; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D007668:Kidney / Q000002:abnormalities; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D010808:Physical Examination; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000002:abnormalities*