Reproductive 1 (Male) Flashcards
What is a true hermaphrodite?
An animal with both female and male gonads (called ovotestes)
What is a pseudohermaphrodite?
Only one actual gonad is present and it determines the animal’s sex (no matter what the remaining parts of the reproductive tract look like)
Ex. A male pseudohermaphrodite may have testes with uterine horns attached
What is freemartinism?
When a male and female twin develop and their placental vessels fuse which allows exchange of blood. Male hormones inhibit the female’s development and cause her to be infertile
Which twin is infertile when freemartinism occurs?
The female twin
What gross lesions are common in a female freemartin calf?
- Hypoplastic gonads (they are often ovotestes)
- Uterine horns and body are small or absent
- Vesicular glands are always present
- External phenotype is female but vagina is always non-patent
- Enlarged clitoris with tuft of hair
What are the four portals of entry to the scrotum and contents?
- Hematogenous localization (ex. brucella species)
- Ascending infection (ex. preputial flora can travel up)
- Direct penetration (ex. bite wounds)
- Extension from the peritoneum (ex. FIP)
True or False: The function of the testis and epididymis depends on maintenance of temperature just below body temperature.
True, a slight increase in their temperature will result in testicular atrophy/degeneration and decreased spermatogenesis.
What cells form the blood-testis barrier?
Sertoli cells
What cells make testosterone?
Interstitial cells of Leydig
What allows spermatozoa to be ‘hidden’ from the host’s immune system?
The blood-testis barrier
What causes the formation of a spermatic granuloma?
Any injury to the testis or ductular system that exposes the spermatozoa to the interstitial tissue of the body. This results in a severe, granulomatous inflammation.
Is cryptorchidism hereditary?
Yes, it is autosomal recessive so don’t breed dogs that have it
What is cryptorchidism?
Failure of testes to descend
What is the most common disorder of sexual development?
Cryptorchidism
Where are the testes usually located in cryptorchidism?
Anywhere along the descent path, but usually close to the inguinal canal
Is cryptorchidism usually unilateral or bilateral?
Unilateral and the affected side will vary with the species
In cryptorchidism, the retained testis and epididymis are _____________.
Hypoplastic
The retained testes in cryptorchidism are prone to what two secondary conditions?
- Neoplasia
- Torsion
Why are small testes of great importance in production animals?
Because daily sperm output is correlated to testicular weight and volume
Small testis usually indicates _____________ or ______________.
Hypoplasia, atrophy/degeneration
What are the two most common portals of entry into the male reproductive tract?
Hematogenous localization and ascending infection
How can you differentiate between testicular hypoplasia and testicular atrophy?
It has to do with the timing. Hypoplasia is congenital and the testis do not grow to full size at puberty. In atrophy, the testes shrink in size after puberty and has many causes.
What are the two types of spermatic granulomas?
- Spermatic granuloma of the epididymal head
- Spermatic granuloma in the epididymal tail
Which spermatic granuloma is congenital?
Spermatic granuloma of the epididymal head
Which spermatic granuloma occurs secondary to epididymitis?
Spermatic granuloma of the epididymal tail
Describe the pathogenesis of a spermatic granuloma.
- Ruptured duct
- Spermatozoa leaks out
- Body sees extraductal spermatozoa as ‘foreign’
- Chronic granulomatous inflammation and fibrosis
- Obstruction and sperm stasis (causes infertility)
What are spermatic granulomas often mistaken for?
Abcesses
What is the medical term for inflammation of the epididymis?
Epididymitis
Which two species most commonly get epididymitis?
Rams and dogs (often concurrent orchitis)
Epididymitis is almost always caused by __________.
Bacterial infection
True or False: Epididymitis can be unilateral or bilateral.
True
Which portals of entry do bacteria enter through to cause epididymitis?
- Hematogenous
- Ascending
What bacteria like to invade the male reproductive tract hematogenously and cause epididymitis?
Brucella ovis in rams
Brucella canis in dogs
What bacteria like to invade the male reproductive tract via ascending infection and cause epididymitis?
Actinobacillus seminis and Histophilus somni (rams)
E. coli (dogs)
How does epididymitis lead to infertility?
- Lesion
- Obstruction to spermatozoa flow
- Rupture of wall
- Leakage of spermatozoa
- Spermatic granulomas
- Obstruction and sperm stasis
What is the medical term for inflammation of the testes?
Orchitis
Orchitis is usually caused via ___________ invasion by __________ species.
Hematogenous, Brucella
Is Brucella a zoonotic bacteria?
Yes, and as such it is a reportable disease
What are the three main types of testicular neoplasia?
- Interstitial (Leydig) cell tumor
- Seminoma (germ cell origin)
- Sertoli cell tumor
How can you differentiate between the different testicular neoplasias?
Gross appearance
What is the most common testicular neoplasia in horses?
Seminomas
List the testicular neoplasias from most common to least common in dogs.
Interstitial > seminoma > sertoli
Interstitial cell tumors are the most common tumor in which species?
Dog, cat, and bull
True or False: Castration can cure interstitial cell tumors.
True
True or False: Metastasis with interstitial cell tumors is rare.
True (it is almost always benign)
True or False: Metastasis with seminomas is rare.
True
Metastasis with Sertoli cell tumors is rare.
True
What is the gross appearance of an interstitial cell tumor?
Spherical, well-demarcated, soft, tan to orange with areas of hemorrhage and necrosis
What is the gross appearance of a seminoma?
Homogenous, white to pink-gray, soft and bulges on section
What is the gross appearance of a Sertoli cell tumor?
Well-demarcated, multilobular, tan to white and very firm
What is the medical term for inflammation of the penis?
Phallitis
What is the medical term for the inflammation of the head (glans) of the penis?
Balanitis
What is the medical term for the inflammation of the prepuce?
Posthitis
What is it called when the penis and prepuce is inflamed?
Balanoposthitis or phalloposthitis
What part of the epididymus is affected by epididymitis?
The tail of the epididymis
What tumor is commonly associated with feminization from hyperestrogenism?
Sertoli cell tumor
What are the six common findings associated with feminization from hyperestrogenism?
- Attraction of other males
- Symmetric alopecia
- Gynecomastia (enlargement of the mammary glands)
- Pendulous prepuce
- Prostatic hyperplasia or squamous metaplasia
- Bone marrow suppression
Bone marrow suppression from hyperestrogenism causes what in the blood?
Anemia, thrombocytopenia, and panleukopenia
List the three diseases of the accessory genital glands in dogs from most to least common.
Prostate hyperplasia > prostatitis > carcinoma of the prostate gland
True or False: Prostate hyperplasia spontaneously develops with age in intact dogs.
True
What is the most common clinical sign of prostate hyperplasia?
Constipation
True or False: Prostate hyperplasia is non-painful on palpation.
True
True or False: Castration can cure prostate hyperplasia.
True
Which testicular tumor commonly causes prostate hyperplasia?
Sertoli cell tumor
Which two bacteria cause prostatitis via ascending infection?
E. coli and Proteus vulgaris
What bacteria causes prostatitis via hematogenous spread?
Brucella canis
What clinical signs are seen in a dog with prostatitis?
You will see signs of a UTI and the dog will present ‘sickly’
True or False: Prostatitis is very painful on palpation.
True
What is the only prostatic neoplasm of importance in domestic animals?
Carcinoma of the prostate
What is the prognosis for dogs with carcinoma of the prostate?
Very poor. By the time it is diagnosed, it has usually already metastasized to the lymph nodes, lungs, and bone
True or False: Castration can cure carcinoma of the prostate.
False. This neoplasia occurs in neutered males too.
True or False: Carcinoma of the prostate is non-painful on palpation.
True
What accessory gland disorder causes smooth and bilaterally symmetrical enlargement of the prostate?
Prostate hyperplasia
Prostatitis causes ___________ enlargement of the prostate.
Asymmetric
What are the two gross presentations of carcinoma of the prostate?
- Asymmetric, irregular, marked enlargement
- Minimal enlargement and urinary obstruction
Which species is commonly affected by vesicular adenitis?
Ruminants
Vesicular adenitis ________________ fertility.
Reduces
What are the three major causes of penile and prepuce inflammation?
- Asymptomatic infections
- Viral infections
- Ovine posthitis (pizzle rot)
True or False: Disorders of the penis and prepuce are relatively rare.
True
True or False: Infections of the penis and prepuce are rare.
False, they are very common! Many organisms exploit venereal transmission!
What are two asymptomatic venereal infectious agents that cause balanoposthitis?
- Tritrichmonas fetus
- Campylobacter fetus venerealis
Which viruses tend to cause balanoposthitis?
Herpesviruses
What bacterial agent causes pizzle rot?
Corynebacterium renale (urease producing)
How does Corynebacterium renale cause pizzle rot?
If an animal is fed a high protein diet, there’s a high level of urea in urine. Urea is broken down by Corynebacterium renale into ammonia. Excess ammonia causes severe irritation and ulceration of the skin around the preputial opening.
Pizzle rot occurs in which species?
Sheep (ovines)
What are the three major penile tumors? Which species commonly gets each?
- Penile squamous cell carcinoma (horses)
- Penile fibropapilloma (cattle)
- Canine transmissible venereal tumor (dogs)
What is the primary differential for an ulcerated exophytic mass on a horse penis?
Penile squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
What causes penile squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)?
- UV exposure of lightly pigmented skin
- Equine papillomavirus 2
True or False: Metastasis with penile squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in horses is rare.
False. It usually metastasizes to lymph nodes, liver, and lungs.
Where is the primary location of canine transmissible venereal tumors (CTVT)?
On the external genitalia of both sexes in dogs (extragenital primary sites can still occur)
How are canine transmissible venereal tumors (CTVT) transmitted?
Direct contact with the tumor during sex
True or False: Metastasis with CTVT is rare.
True, unless the animal is already in very poor health. It usually spontaneously regresses.
What virus causes penile fibropapilloma in cattle?
Bovine papillomavirus 1
True or False: Metastasis with penile fibropapilloma in cattle is rare.
True. It is usually benign and self-limiting.
