Journal of Andrology
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Published-Ahead-of-Print May 9, 2007, DOI:10.2164/jandrol.106.002212

This Article
Right arrow Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
28/6/813    most recent
Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Gougoudi, E.
Right arrow Articles by Zachariou, Z.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Gougoudi, E.
Right arrow Articles by Zachariou, Z.

OUTCOME OF FOWLER-STEPHENS OPERATION FOR UNDESCENDED TESTES. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Evagelia Gougoudi *, Emmanouil Pikoulis , Ioannis Karavokyros , Karen Gorgas , Evagelos Felekouras , Sotiris Georgopoulos , Christos Tsigris , Athanasios Giannopoulos , and Zacharias Zachariou

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: evagougoudi{at}yahoo.com.

Aim: To investigate the outcome of Fowler-Stephens (FS) operation in prepubertal Wistar rats. Material-Method: 32 animals, 30 days old, underwent a laparoscopic FS procedure on the right testicle (8 of them formed the control group). 9, 30, 70 and 90 days later we assessed the testes histologically and at the same time determined inhibin {beta}B serum concentration, while one day earlier an ultrasound study was also performed. Results: Decrease of central testicular vascularity and heterogenous parenchymal echogenicity were the initial sonographic evidence of testicular damage, which either regressed in time or extended towards periphery. On histology, early degenerative changes either remained mild and restricted in the germinative epithelium, or became more severe affecting additional structures. A decrease of seminiferous tubule area, a thickening of the tunica albuginea and an increase in the mast cell number were changes reaching significance. Also a significant decrease of serum inhibin {beta}B was found and it correlated significantly with both the thickening of tunica albuginea and the increase of mast cell number but not with the decrease of seminiferous tubule area. Conclusion: Division of the spermatic vessels causes severe testicular degeneration as evidenced by changes on u/s and histology features combined with a drop of serum inhibin {beta}B levels.


Key words: Hormone • Spermatogenesis • Surgery • Testis • cryptorchidism • inhibin bB • mast cells • orchiopexy • postoperative testicular atrophy






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Copyright © 2007 by The American Society of Andrology.