rare incidence and atypical symptoms of these conditions make clinical diagnosis and treatment difficult. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed 28 such cases, proposed a new classification of ESTO, and applied it in clinical practice to provide valuable references for diagnosis and treatment of the condition.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Study population and clinical manifestationsFrom August 1985 to August 2015, 28 cases of ESTO in patients aged 2-48 years old were diagnosed and treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and Nanjing BenQ Hospital (Nanjing, China). The study protocol was approved by the ethics committees of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and Nanjing BenQ Hospital. Patients themselves or their parents when necessary provided written informed consent before enrollment.The results of the physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging are described in detail in Supplementary Table 1. Briefly, the scrotum and perineum were carefully examined. Semen analyses were conducted after liquefaction at the clinics using the WLJY-9000 CASA system (Beijing Weili New Century Science & Tech. Deve. Co. Ltd., Beijing, China). B ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) on the urinary system were performed routinely. Enhanced CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; 1.5T, Siemens Magnetom TrioTim, Munich, Germany) were performed in some cases.
INTRODUCTIONEctopic seminal tract opening (ESTO) is a rare congenital malformation, which is mainly divided into two types, ectopic vas deferens opening (EVDO) and ectopic ejaculatory duct opening (EEDO). Since EVDO was first reported in 1895, only about 66 cases have been reported. Among the cases of EVDO, an ectopic opening into the ureter is relatively common, 1-4 and ectopic opening into the bladder, 5,6 the Müllerian duct cyst (MDC), 7,8 the enlarged prostatic utricle (EPU), 9,10 and renal collective system 11 could also be found in some rare cases. EEDO, first documented in 1939, is even rarer than EVDO, with only about 11 cases having been recorded until now. [12][13][14]