EXOCRINE, ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF TESTICULAR FUNCTION AFTER UNILATERAL TORSION

We studied 17 patients an average of ten years after treatment for uni lateral testicular torsion. A decrease of sperm counts (< 20 Mio/ml) w as found in four. Antisperm antibodies in seminal plasma as well as th e quantitative detection of antisperm antibodies in serum did not corr elate with the spermiograms. The time period between testicular torsio n and operation - orchiectomy as well as orchidopexy - had no influenc e on sperm counts. Important for the fertility was the age of the pati ents at the event of testicular torsion. All "infertile" patients were older than 15 years when the torsion occurred. Either the prepuberal testicle is able to regenerate or autoimmunological activation with da mage of the contralateral testicle is absent.