title: Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in nonneoplastic testicular and scrotal lesions and male infertility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the role of fine needle aspiration (FNA) in male infertility and in nonneoplastic lesions of the testis and scrotum.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective study over a 5-year period, 164 cases of FNA of testicular and scrotal nonneoplastic lesions were retrieved. Aspiration was performed with a 23-gauge needle on a 20-mL syringe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 164 cases, 27 (16%) remained inconclusive; they were mainly from epididymal lesions. The remaining 137 cases were categorized as inflammatory lesions, 52 (31.7%); noninflammatory lesions, 42 (25.6%); and infertility cases, 43 (26.2%). Among the inflammatory lesions, 33 cases had nonspecific inflammation, 13 had granulomatous epididymoorchitis, 3 cases were of spermatic granuloma, and 3 cases revealed microfilariae. Noninflammatory lesions included 25 cases of spermatocele, 8 of hematoma/torsion, 5 of hydrocele, 3 of benign epididymal cyst and 1 of calcinosis cutis. Among the patients investigated for infertility, 23 (53%) had normal spermatogenesis, 6 (14%) had Sertoli cells only, 5 (119%) had maturation arrest, 6 (14%) showed hypospermatogenesis, and 3 (7%) showed an atrophic pattern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FNA of the testis and scrotum is a simple, quick, minimally invasive and painless outpatient procedure. The sample obtained is more representative than biopsy as several separate punctures can be made, and there is no local scarring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Surgery, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Um
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Handa
authors.forename: Anjali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhutani
authors.forename: Harsh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.forename: Amarpreet Singh
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bawa
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000295:instrumentation; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis; D004823:Epididymitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D006099:Granuloma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D009920:Orchitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012611:Scrotum / Q000473:pathology*; D013088:Spermatocele / Q000175:diagnosis; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000473:pathology; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006848:Testicular Hydrocele / Q000175:diagnosis; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*