SERTOLI-CELL MORPHOLOGY IN RETRACTILE PREPUBERTAL TESTES

Retractile testes are frequently observed. There is currently disagree ment concerning the definition of retractile testes, and therefore the ir treatment is still controversial. The microscopic description of te sticular biopsies is usually focused on germ cells. This study describ es Sertoli-cell morphology in retractile testes. Ten biopsies of retra ctile testes from 9 children aged 4-10 years and 1 biopsy of a descend ed testis from a child 2 months of age were examined by light and elec tron microscopy. Based on Sertoli-cell morphology, tubular degeneratio n phases V-VII according to the classification of Rune were observed i n 80% of retractile-testis biopsies, but not in the biopsy of the desc ended testis. Electron microscopy revealed dilatations of rough endopl asmic reticulum, irregular outlines of nuclear membranes, and vacuoliz ation of cytoplasm in Sertoli cells of retractile testes. We conclude that Sertoli cells in retractile testes, according to the definition o f Goh and Hutson, do show distinct morphologic alterations resembling those alterations observed in cryptorchid testes.