Epididymal Cysts: Are They Associated With Infertility?

Abstract

Scrotal sonography is commonly used for evaluation of the infertile male. While epididymal cysts are frequently observed during sonographic assessment, their presence has uncertain import. This study is a retrospective case-control sonographic and chart review comparison of infertile men and fertile volunteers to clarify the possible association of epididymal cysts and infertility. The study included 91 consecutively recruited patients from January 2012 to December 2014. The infertile group consisted patients with male factor infertility who underwent scrotal sonography ( n = 67). The fertile group consisted of men requesting vasectomy who were recruited for study involvement and consented to undergo scrotal sonography ( n = 24). The main outcome measure was infertility. The existence of epididymal cysts on scrotal sonography was the main risk factor. Predictably, the only sonographic findings associated with infertility were small testes (right: t = -2.52; left: t = -2.28, both p = .01) and the presence of a varicocele, χ = 5.766 with p = .02. The infertile men were also younger and more likely to use alcohol. Of the 91 men studied, 71% demonstrated epididymal cysts (73% of infertile and 67% of fertile men). Epididymal cysts were not be associated with infertility, χ = 0.362 with p = .55. This occurrence of epididymal cysts is the highest ever reported (71% of all men). While the occurrence of epididymal cysts in this cohort is unexplained, our observation that these cysts are not associated with infertility will be useful for those clinicians counseling patients observed to have these structures.

Intraparenchymal Epididymal Cyst (IEC) 4 cm in Diameter in a 15-Year Old Male Patient; a Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…Based on this hypothesis, we believe that a periodic follow-up of the patient and the conduction of spermiogram in a reasonable time are required. Besides, according to the clinical study conducted by Weatherly D. et al (24), who encountered 91 men, IECs are not related to infertility (χ…”

Symptomatic Intraparenchymal Epididymal Cysts: Description of 11 cases

“…IECs were found in 46/67 (73%) fertile and 16/24 (67%) infertile men. Though the reason for the high prevalence of EC is unknown, there is no evidence to suggest that the presence of these cysts is associated with infertility [10].…”

Benign Scrotal Tumor in a Pediatric Patient: Epididymal Cyst

“…Previous reports revealed EC in 5% of pediatric patients undergoing scrotal ultrasound and in 15% of boys undergoing ultrasound for a palpable mass [ 5 ]. Some authors refer to an increase in the proportion of EC with age [ 5 ] as they usually develop around the age of 40 [ 3 ], and in another recent work [ 6 ], more than 30% of adult men, fertile or infertile, show cysts on sonography. There is confusing data regarding prevalence (14-50%), after all, depending on sample characteristics (prepubertal boys or adult men who seek fertility)…”