CONGENITAL ABSENCE OF VAS-DEFERENS TREATED BY ARTIFICIAL SPERMATOCELECONSTRUCTED FROM THE TUNICA VAGINALIS - REPORT OF 6 CASES

Six patients with congenital absence of the vas deferens were treated by artificial spermatoceles (ASCs) in an attempt to collect sperm for subsequent artificial insemination (AI). The ASC was constructed from a flap of tunica vaginalis from the patient. Sperm were aspirated from the ASC each month; there was wide variation in the concentration of sperm recovered [33.0 +/- 48.2 x 10(6) mL-1 (range 0.1-200)] and motil ity and normal morphology of the sperm were 19.0 +/- 17.9% and 48.8 +/ - 23.4% respectively. Although a total of 14 cycles of AI was performe d using the aspirated sperm, pregnancy did not result. Both poor sperm recovery and poor motility contributed to this failure. The condition of the epididymis observed during scrotum examination is reported. It is suggested that in some patients with congenital absence of vas def erens, the paired Wolffian ducts may differ from each other in their d evelopment.