DETACHED CILIARY TUFTS IN THE EPIDIDYMIS - A LESSON IN APPLIED ANATOMY

We report a case of detached ciliary tufts (DCTs) discovered in the as pirate from an epididymal cyst in a 30-year-old man undergoing epididy mal exploration for obstructive azoospermia. The specimen was initiall y misdiagnosed as a parasite due to its appearance and spontaneous mot ion on fresh smear. Since standard urology and histology texts identif y ciliated cells only in the efferent duct of the male genital tract, the source of DCTs in this patient was mysterious. However, on further review, histologic studies have demonstrated that the first portion o f the epididymis represents an extension of the efferent ducts and is lined with cilia, The fact that. the caput epididymis is composed of b ranched efferent ducts has significant implications for our understand ing of congenital absence of the vas, epididymal sperm aspiration, spe rmatoceles, and epididymal physiology.