FUNCTIONAL AND CYTOLOGIC FEATURES OF THE CONTRALATERAL TESTIS IN CRYPTORCHIDISM

Objective: To characterize the testicular cytologic pictures in crypto rchid and contralateral testis related to seminal pattern. Design: Con trolled clinical study. Setting: Andrological and urologic academic se tting. Patients: One hundred nine patients orchidopexied because of un ilateral cryptorchidism compared with 35 normospermic subjects. Interv entions: Bilateral testicular fine-needle aspiration cytology. Main Ou tcome Measures: Seminal parameters; testicular cytologic features; pla sma levels of FSH, LH, and T; and ultrasound testicular examination. R esults: The cytologic analysis revealed an important quantitative and qualitative impairment of spermatogenic Line in all the excryptorchid testes. These alterations are present in the contralateral testes only when azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia were observed, whereas in moderate oligozoospermic subjects a normal tubular status was evident. A compensatory activity in normally descended testis of normozoosperm ic patients was present. Conclusions: In unilateral cryptorchidism, a frequent testicular damage in the orchidopexied and in the contralater al descended testis suggests that this condition is the end point of d ifferent pathological conditions, including testicular intrinsic (cong enital) and extrinsic (anatomical) causes. Fine-needle aspiration cyto logy of both testes represents a tool in the assessment of the tubular status in excryptorchid subjects.