Male Reproduction Flashcards
What is varicocele?
Varicocele is enlargement of the veins of the spermatic cord, commonly occurring above the left testicle. Varicoceles, present in more than 10% of males, are usually identified during adolescence. Male infertility has been linked to varicoceles, but a definitive causal relation has not been established.
Symptoms: There is a dull ache along the cord and a slight dragging sensation in the groin. On examination, the vessels on the affected side of the scrotum are full, feel like a bundle of worms, and are sometimes purplish.
Treatment: Most varicoceles are asymptomatic and are followed conservatively. When they cause intolerable symptoms, or when they are found during the evaluation of men with infertility, they may be surgically repaired. However, there is no firm evidence that varicocele repair improves male fertility.
What is the cremasteric reflex?
The cremasterix reflex is retrain of the testis when the skin is stolen on the inner front side of the thigh.
What is Prehn sign?
Prehn sign is a decrease in scrotal pain with elevation of the testicle. It is a physical finding in patients with epidiidymitis, but not testicular torsion.
What is hydrocele?
Hydrocele is the accumulation of serous fluid in a saclike cavity, especially in the tunica vaginalis resist. It may be caused by infection or trauma.
What is a congenital hydrocele?
A congenital hydrocele is a hydrocele that is present at birth, resulting from failure of closure of the vaginal process.
What is a seminoma?
A seminoma is a cancer arising from the male germ cells (in the testis) that make up about half of all testicular malignancies.
Treatment: Seminomas that are confined to the testes are surgically removed. Metastatic disease is treated with surgery (to remove the testis) and radiation and chemotherapy.
What is choriocarcinoma?
Choriocarcinoma is a rare, aggressive cancer that may begin in a germ cell tumor, in an ectopic pregnancy, or in the uterus. It may occur following a hydatid mole, a normal pregnancy, or an abortion. It typically produces very high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). It may respond to combined modality therapy using surgery and chemotherapy.
What is epididymitis?
Epididymitis is inflammation of the epididymis, usually as a result of infection, and rarely as a result of trauma or urinary reflux from the urethra.
Incidence: Approx. 600,000 cases of epididymitis are reported each year in the U.S. The majority of cases occur in young sexually active males between the ages of 15 and 35.
Causes: The causes of epididymitis depend on age and amount of activity. Children may have epididymal infection as a result of congenital malformations of the genitourinary tract. In sexually active young men, chlamydia and gonorrhea are the most common causes. Middle-aged and older men typically have infections caused by gram-negative urinary pathogens, such as Escherichia coli or other enteric bacteria. Syphilis, tuberculosis, mumps, and other microorganisms are also occasionally responsible for epididymal infection.
Symptoms: The primary symptom in adults is pain and mild to moderate tenderness, redness, and swelling in the scrotum that is usually localized to the superior pole of one of the testicles. Urethral discharge, fever, and chills are also common. In an attempt to protect the groin and scrotum while walking, the patient may walk with a waddling gait.
Diagnosis: Urinalysis, urine culture and sensitivity, Gram staining of urethral discharge, and white blood cell count above 10,000 cells/mm3 aid diagnosis. Scrotal ultrasonography helps to differentiate this condition from testicular torsion, which is a urological surgical emergency.
Treatment: Treatment is aimed atcombating the infection and reducing pain and swelling. Antibiotic therapy (such as deftriaxone by injection along with an oral tetracycline or azithromycin for sexually active men) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (for pain and fever) are effective. Drug therapy usually begins to relieve symptoms in 2 or 3 days and eradicates infection in about a week.
What is orchitis?
Orchitis is inflammation of the testes during to trauma, ischemia, metastasis, mumps, or infection elsewhere in the body.
Symptoms: The symptoms of orchitis included swelling, pain, chills, fever, vomiting, hiccough, and in some patients delirium. Atrophy of the organ may be an end result.
What is Klinefelter syndrome?
Klinefelter syndrome the most common sex chromosome syndrome, marked by primary testicular failure. The classic form is associated with the presence of an extra X chromosome. Those affected have small, firm testes, gynecomastia, abnormally long legs, minimal body and facial hair, and are infertile. The chromosomal abnormalities vary in different forms of the syndrome, and therefore the severity and number of abnormal findings are diversified. The syndrome is estimated to occur in one of 500 live male births. Diagnosis may be confirmed by chromosomal analysis of tissue culture, which usually demonstrates a 47, XXY genotype.
What is testicular torsion?
Testicular torsion is a urological emergency in which the testis is starved of its blood supply as it twists on the spermatic cord. The condition causes unilateral scrotal pain, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and typically occurs in young boys or adolescents, between the ages of 12 and 18. Torsion is rare in men older than 35. A characteristic physical finding is loss of the cremasteric reflex on the affected side. Torsion is diagnosed with scrotal ultrasonography. Reduced blood flow to the testis establishes the diagnosis. Treatment is a prompt operation to relieve the twisting of the cord. A delay in surgery beyond 6 hr rapidly increases the likelihood that the testicle will be lost.
What is cryptorchidism?
Cryptorchidism is positioning or one or more of the testes outside of the scrotum, e.g a failure of the testes to descend into the scrotum.
