title: Complete testis-epididymis nonfusion anomaly: a typical association with cryptorchid testis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fusion anomalies of the testis and epididymis are associated with cryptorchidism. We present an analysis of the fusion anomalies of the epididymis in cryptorchid boys.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective review of patients presenting with undescended testes between 1986 and 1993. Patients were stratified among four groups based on the degree of testis-epididymis nonfusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 880 testes were eligible for review, of which 93% (815/880) had normal fusion, 3.6% (32/880) had epididymal head nonfusion, 2% (19/880) had epididymal tail nonfusion, and 1.6% (14/880) had complete nonfusion. Increasing degree of nonfusion was associated with higher perioperative testes position. Head and tail nonfusion were observed together with a contralateral descended testis, but less frequently than in bilateral undescended testes (p = 3.89 × E-10). Complete nonfusion was not observed in the contralateral descended testes in unilateral cryptorchid boys.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Different degrees of fusion anomalies of the epididymis are associated with unilateral and bilateral undescended testis, indicating that nonfusion anomalies interact with epididymal-testicular descent because of impaired epididymal function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children's Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rachmani
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zachariou
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hadziselimovic
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013737:Testis / Q000002:abnormalities*