HISTOLOGICAL STUDY IN CONTRALATERAL TESTIS OF PREPUBERTAL CHILDREN FOLLOWING UNILATERAL TESTICULAR TORSION

Histological changes in the contralateral testis in 8 prepubertal chil dren whose ages ranged from 3 to 7.5 years with a history of testicula r torsion and subsequent atrophy were studied. The following histologi cal parameters were evaluated: fertility tubular index (FTI), Sertoli cell index (SCI) and minimum tubular diameter (MTD). According to our findings and following Nistal and Paniagua's classification (1984) for tubular alterations, we found 5 cases (62.5%) who present the followi ng alterations. Type 1 (case 2): FTI was decreased above 50% correspon ding to slight germinal hypoplasia with normal MTD and SCI. Type 2 (ca ses 3 and 5): testis with remarkable germinal hypoplasia; FTI was betw een 30 and 50% while MTD was below normal values. Type 3 (case 8): tes tis with diffuse tubular hypoplasia; FTI was below 30%, whereas MTD sh owed 33% decerase regarding normal values. Type 4 (case 6): testes wit h hyperplasia of Sertoli cells; SCI was increased one third with regar d to that corresponding to his age; FTI showed severe hypoplasia of ge rm cells. No relationship between alterations in either the age of the patients or the time elapsed since the torsion was observed. Because of all these facts and the young age of our patients, we believe that the alterations found in the contralateral testis were due to congenit al dysgenesia.