RETE TESTIS DYSGENESIS - A CHARACTERISTIC LESION OF UNDESCENDED TESTES

Objective.-To evaluate the status of the intratesticular spermatic duc t system (rete testis, PT) in patients with cryptorchidism. Materials and Methods.-We examined 40 surgical orchiectomy specimens from postpu bertal patients with undescended testis from pathology files at La Paz Hospital, Madrid, Spain. Special attention was given to the intratest icular spermatic duct system, mainly the RT. Results.-In all cases, th e RT was underdeveloped and was lined by columnar or large cuboidal ce lls (dysgenetic RT). According to the configuration of the mediastinal RT, the lesions were classified as diffuse hypoplastic RT (37.5%), hy poplastic-cystic RT (50%), or adenomatous pseudohyperplastic RT (12.5% ). Conclusion.-Although these changes could have resulted from incompl ete pubertal maturation, many other data suggest that a primary abnorm ality of the RT is present. Important clinical considerations are deri ved from the fact that a functional obstruction of the sperm-conductin g mechanism is determined by these abnormalities of the RT. The presen ce of intraluminal spermatozoa in epididymis and RT suggest that at le ast some of these patients are potentially fertile.