Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation: Opus IV: Organ Systems: Male Genital System
Ronald A. Bergman, PhD
Adel K. Afifi, MD, MS
Ryosuke Miyauchi, MD
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed
"Sterility in the Male.--Pajot has examined the spermatic fluid of over 200 men, aet. from twenty-five to sixty, and he emphasizes the fact, of which too little notice is generally taken, that in sterile marriages, oftener than one is disposed to imagine, the fault lies at the door of the husband. The spermatic fluid may be rich, ordinary, poor or insufficient, or absolutely worthless."--From Edinburgh Medical Journal, 1825.
"For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven" Matthew 19:12 ~80 AD.
In addition to irregularities in position, the testes may vary in number. A case of three and of four testes have been verified. One or both testicles may be absent or may be rudimentary. Various cases of supernumerary testicles have been reported during operations or in physical examination (without histological proof, however). In some cases, a third testicle may actually be an accessory spleen. In their descent, the testes may become lodged in the perineum, inguinal canal, or abdomen. Two testes may lie in the same serous sac on one side of the scrotum. The position of the testicles has been found to be a diagnostic sign of situs inversus totalis.
Bifid scrotum has also been reported.
References
Abell, I. (1936) Cysts of the testicle. Ann. Surg. 103:941-948.
Al-Habbal, Z. and A.Y. Izzidan. (1984) Polyorchidism: Case report and review of the literature. J. Ped. Surg. 19:212.
Alyea, A.D. (1929) Dislocation of the testis. Surg., Gynec. Obstet. 49:600-616.
Baker, L.L., Hajek, P.C., Burkhard, T.K. and R.F. Mattrey. (1987) Cases Report. Polyorchidism: evaluation by MR. Am. J. Roentgenol. 148:305-306.
Barker, K. and F.P. Roper. (1964) Torsion of the testis. Brit. J. Urol. 36:35-41.
Baudry, S. (1881) Uncas d'extopie du testicule au périnée. Bulletins et Mem. de la Société Anatomique de Paris LVI(12):721-723.
Becker, H. and K.H. Gasteyer. (1969) Behandlung der Lageanomalien des Hodens. Medizinische Klinik 64:644-648.
Boggon, R.H. (1932-33) Polyorchidism. Brit. J. Surg. 20:630-639.
Culp, O.S. (1951) Early correction of congenital chordee and hypospadias. J. Urol. 65:264-278.
Cholst, M.R. (1947) Discrepancies in pain and symptom distribution. Position of the testicles as a diagnostic sign in situs inversus totalis. Am. J. Surg. 73:104-107.
Counseller, V.S. and M.A. Walker. (1933) Congenital absence of testes (anorchia). Ann. Surg. 98:104-109.
Counseller, V.S., Nichols, D.R. and H.L. Smith. (1940) Congenital absence of testis. A report of seven cases of monorchidism. J. Urol. 44:237-241.
Deville, -. (1848) Organes génitaux d'un homme présentant divers anomalies. Bulletins et Mem. de la Société Anatomique de Paris XXIII(1,2,3):32.
Dolbeau, -. (1862) Disposition anormale des parties constituantes du testicle. bulletins et Mem. de la Société Anatomique de Paris XXXVII(5):217-219.
Emmet, J.M. and M.L. Drefuss. (1943) Accessory spleen in scrotum. Ann. Surg. 117:754-759.
Godard, E. (1859) Sur l'absence congénitale du testicule. Soc. Biol. Comptes Rendus des Séances et Mémoires. 11:311-327.
Féré, C. (1878) Persistence du canal de Nück. Bulletins et Memoirs de la Société Anatomique de Paris (série 4, Tome III) 58:58.
Godard, E. (1859) Note sur l'absence congénitale du canal excréteur et du résevois de la semence, le testicule existant. Soc. Biol. Comptes Rendus des Séances et Mémoires 11:329-342.
Grove, J.S. (1954) The cryptorchid problem. J. Urol. 71:735-741.
Gruber, W. (1878) Ein Fall von rechtsseitiger Cryptorchie mit Lagerung des Testikels und seiner Anhänge zwischen den die vordere Wand des Canalis inguinalis bildenden Muskelschichten. Arch. f. Pathol. Anat. u. f. Physiol. Klin. Med. 73:332-336.
Gutierrez, J. and R.M. Nesbit. Ectopic prostatic tissue in bladder. J. Urol. 98:474-478.
Hepburn, R.H. (1967) Anarchism. J. Urol. 62:65-68.
Hunter, R.H. (1926) The etiology of congenital inguinal hernia and abnormally placed testes. Brit. J. Surg. 14:125-139.
Khamesra, H.L., Gupta, A.S. and N.K. Malpani. (1978) Transverse testicular ectopia. Brit. J. Urol. 50:283.
King, E.S.J. (1931) An anatomical analysis of an example of polyorchidism. J. Anat. 65:427-437.
Lecéne, P. (1924) Un cas de Triorchide vraie chez l'homme. Ann. Anat. Pathol. 1:71-75.
Legendre, E.Q. (1856) Observation de monorchide chez l'homme. Soc. Biol. Comptes Rendus des Séances et Mémoires 8:216-218.
Lenhossek, M. von. (1886) Ectopia testis transversa. Anat. Anz. 1:376-381.
Little, J.L. (1883) Complications arising from undescended testicles. Ann. Anat. and Surgery 7:250-254.
Lockwood, C.B. (1887) Development and transition of the testis, normal and abnormal. J. Anat. Physiol. 21:635-664.
Lockwood, C.B. (1888) Development and transition of the testis, normal and abnormal. J. Anat. Physiol. 22:38-77.
Lowe, C.V. (1911) Double testicle on one side. Brit. Med. J. 2:513-514.
Marsh, F. (1911) Two testicles on one side. Brit. Med. J. 2:1354.
Marsh, T. (1898) Abnormal arrangement of the spermatic arteries and of the right cord and testes. J. Anat. Physiol. 32:216-217.
Matthew, -. (circa 80A.D.) On eunuchs. Bible (New Testament) Matthew 19:12.
Michelson, L. (1949) Congenital anomalies of the ductus deferens and epididymus. J. Urol. 61:384-390.
Miloy, E. (1969) Ectopic scrotum: A review of the literature and report of a further case. Brit. J. Urol. 41:235-237.
Muschat, M. (1933) Perineal testicle. J.Urol. 30:353-355.
Olken, J.G. (1945) Accessory splenic tissue within scrotum. Am. J. Pathol. 21:81-85.
Rea, C.E. (1938) The perineal testis. Ann. Surg. 108:1083-1087.
Rifkind, M.D., Kurtz, A.B., Pasto, M.E. and B.B. Goldberg. (1985) Polyorchidism diagnosed preoperatively by ultrsonography. J. Ultrasound Med. 2:93-94.
Robinson, J.N. and E.T. Engle. (1954) Some observations on cryptorchid testis. J. Urol. 71:726-734.
Rolnick, D., Kawanoue, S., Szanto, P. and I.M. Bush. (1968) Anatomical incidence of testicular appendages. J. Urol. 100:755-756.
Scott, R.T. (1940) Torsion of the appendix testis. J. Urol. 44:755-758.
Snow, B.W., Tarry, W.F. and J.W. Duckett. (1985) Polyorchidism: an unusual case. J.Urol. 133:483.
Sparrow, J.S.R. (1911) Supernumery testicles. Brit. Med. J. 2:780.
Stearns, L.M. (1935) Congenital anorchia with report of a case of unilateral anorchia. Nebr. State Med. J. 20:227-228.
Thorek, M. and P. Thorek. (1933) Anorchidism (absence of the testicle) with case report. J. Urol. 30:345-351.
Tibbs, D.J. (1961) Unilateral absence of the testis. Eight cases of true monorchism. Brit. J. Surg. 48:601-608.
Westcott, J.W. and R.F. Dykhuizen. (1967) Polyorchism. J. Urol. 98:497-500.
Wildbolz, H. (1917) Ein Fall von kongenitaler Anorchie. Correspondenz-Blatt Schweizer Aerzte 47:1307-1314.
Wilson, W.A. and J. Littler. (1953) Polyorchidism. A report of two cases with torsion. Brit. J. Surg. 41:302-306.
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