Histopathologic Changes of Testis after Experimental Testicular Biopsy in Rabbit

Min, Kweon Sik; Park, Nam Cheol; Yoon, Jong Byung

Abstract

Testicular biopsy to have been utilized as a diagnostic tool in male infertility were underwent experimentally to observe the effects on the morphology and the physiology of post-biopsied testis of 17 male rabbits. Bilateral orchiectomy was done at third day, 1st week, 2nd week and 4th week after open testicular biopsy, and biopsied testes were compared with contralateral control in histopathological views. The results were summarized as follows : 1. In seminiferous tubules of sham-operated tests, there was no significant pathologic changes. 2. The inflammatory reaction was most severe at third day after biopsy and completely disappeared at 4th week. 3. Increased thickness of tunica albuginea and fibrotic reaction were observed near the biopsy site. 4. Spermatogenesis did not only decrease near the biopsy site with atrophy of the seminiferous tubules but also mildly decreased on the far area, that all began to recover at 4th week. 5. No evidence of immunologic reaction and hyperplasia of Leydig cell were demonstrated. It was suggested that testicular injury after biopsy was developed by interference of local blood flow, obstruction of seminiferous tubules and inflammatory reaction, so that could be minimized by application of open testicular biopsy only to definitively indicated cases.