Tubular ectasia of the rete testis: An ultrasound diagnosis

Colangelo, Sandra M.; Fried, Karen; Hyacinthe, Llewellyn; Fracchia, John A.

doi:10.1016/s0090-4295(99)80031-4

Cited by 33 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…When a more proximal obstruction (fibrosis of the efferent ducts or even of the rete testis) is suspected [15], only scrotal sonography can detect isolated dilation of the rete testis (Fig. 2c) [16]. Similarly, in non-azoospermic patients, only US with high-frequency probes (10±14 MHz) can detect partial epididymal obstruction which can be the cause of hypofertility [17].…”

Section: Epididymal Obstructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

US findings in male hypofertility and impotence

et al. 2001

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IntroductionUltrasonography of the male genital tract is routinely performed to assess several diseases in man. A major field is prostate transrectal sonography combined with US-guided biopsies used to improve, in combination with PSA assay, early detection and staging of prostate cancer. Two other fields have gained clinical importance. The first is male hypofertility. Improvement of in vitro fertilization techniques has led to a huge increase in pretreatment investigation by imaging of hypofertile men, with emphasis on azoospermic patients, to try to find the cause of infertility, before contemplating invasive techniques for only diagnostic purposes, such as testicular biopsy or surgical deferentography. It also concerns non-azoospermic patients in whom the search for a deleterious factor is more and more routinely conducted to improve the quality of the semen. Scrotal and transrectal ultrasonography with high-frequency probes and use of color Doppler imaging have proved to be very reliable adjuncts to clinical examination to assess the presence of an obstruction (total or partial) of the seminal tract, to detect inflammatory changes in the deep genital tract and to detect and quantify a venous reflux in the spermatic veins. The second field is male sexual impotence. Initial enthusiasm concerning noninvasive investigation of impotent men by color Doppler sonography to detect a vascular abnormality (arterial or venous) of the penile vasculature has been tempered by the fact that surgical or interventional treatments used to treat penile artery stenoses or incompetence of the veno-occlusive system were found to give poor results, and now these treatments have been superseded by the advent of medical treatments based on intracavernosal injection of vasoactive drugs and more recently by the possibility of circumventing vasculogenic impotence by a peroral treatment, namely Viagra. US has thus become useful in only highly selected patients presenting with sexual impotence.

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Section: Epididymal Obstructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

US findings in male hypofertility and impotence

et al. 2001

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“…5,6 Cystic ectasia of the rete testis may be related to urological conditions that are associated with epididymal obstruction, such as vasectomy, spermatocele or epididymitis. 1,2,6,8 However, in this case, the patient's medical history was unremarkable with no history of herniorrhaphy, vasectomy, epididymitis or trauma.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…1,2 The diagnosis can be made with clinical and sonographic features. Although a total of 80 cases of cystic ectasia of the rete testis has been reported, they may be less thorough due to the lack of the concurrent sonographic findings and histological confirmation.…”

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confidence: 99%

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A Case of Cystic Ectasia of the Rete Testis

et al. 2012

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“…Non-neoplastic cystic lesions are of two main groups: (i) those that arise from the tunica albuginea, which are generally palpable and do not communicate with the tubular system; and (ii) intratesticular cysts, of which tubular ectasia of the rete testis are an example. 4 These must be differentiated from malignant testicular tumours, with particular reference to teratomas which are known to present as cystic masses within the testicular parenchyma. 3 Tubular ectasia of the rete testis often represent an asymptomatic finding in men older than 55 years with unremarkable physical examination of the testes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tubular ectasia of the rete testis: a diagnostic dilemma

Nair

Abbaraju²,

Krishnamoorthy³

et al. 2008

Ann R Coll Surg Engl

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Tubular ectasia of the rete testis is a pathologically benign process with complex and varied aetiology. It must be differentiated from neoplastic disease of the testis clinically with patient age, mode of presentation, tumour marker status and the characteristic ultrasound and Doppler study findings. Awareness and diagnosis of this clinical entity can prevent unnecessary surgical intervention in these patients.

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Tubular ectasia of the rete testis: An ultrasound diagnosis

Cited by 33 publications

References 5 publications

US findings in male hypofertility and impotence

US findings in male hypofertility and impotence

A Case of Cystic Ectasia of the Rete Testis

Tubular ectasia of the rete testis: a diagnostic dilemma

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