Testis & paratestis

Nonneoplastic lesions

Epididymitis



Last author update: 1 March 2012
Last staff update: 9 September 2020

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PubMed Search: Epididymitis [title]

Rafael E. Jimenez, M.D., M.H.A.
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Cite this page: Jimenez R. Epididymitis. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/testisepididymitis.html. Accessed March 28th, 2024.
Definition / general
  • Primary cause of epididymal obstruction
  • Usually related to cystitis, prostatitis or urethritis that spreads through vas deferens or lymphatics
  • May cause testicular ischemia and necrosis, later scarring and infertility with preservation of Leydig cells and preserved sexual activity
  • Acute disease: epididymis enlarged, covered with fibrin, may contain pus and rupture
  • Brucellosis: affects testis and epididymis in 20% of cases; has granulomatous appearance
  • Gonorrhea: affects epididymis before testis
  • Tuberculosis: may cause confluent caseation that spreads into testis and simulates malignancy; may cause scrotal fistula; should culture to rule out M. kansasii and M. avium-intracellulare
  • Children: usually gram negative rods, congenital genitourinary abnormality
  • Sexually active men age 35 or less: Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae
  • Men age 35+: E. coli, Pseudomonas and other urinary tract infection organisms
Microscopic (histologic) images

Contributed by Veena Maheshwar, M.D., Kiran Alam, M.D., Anshu Jain, M.D.

25 year old man with epididymal mass: filiarial epididymitis

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