Purpose: Irrespective of the surgical technique chosen to treat high undesc
ended testis, preservation of an adequate arterial supply for the testis is
crucial for successful orchiopexy with maintenance of normal testicular si
ze and texture. To provide an anatomical background for such a procedure, w
e performed a systematic study on the number and origin of arteries supplyi
ng the fetal testis during its migration from the abdomen to the scrotum.
Materials and Methods: We studied bilaterally 64 testes from 32 fresh human
fetuses 13 to 33 weeks after conception. The fetuses were injected through
the thoracic aorta with a microvascular silicone rubber red resin to fill
in the arterial tree, thereby enabling identification and dissection of all
arteries supplying the testes.
Results: Of the 64 testes 3 arteries (testicular, deferential and cremaster
ic) were found in 46 (71.9%), 2 (testicular and deferential) in 15 (23.4%)
and 4 in 3 (4.7%).
Conclusions: The fetal testis is always supplied by Eat least 2 arteries (t
esticular and deferential arteries) and by 3 or 4 arteries in nearly 80% of
the cases.