Patient's question:
Patients with epididymal malformation have no discomfort, and are often followed up clinically due to cryptorchidism or male infertility. Most patients have complications such as cryptorchidism, inguinal hernia, and hydrocele. Does epididymal malformation affect fertility?Doctor's answer:
When the embryonic gonad differentiates into testes and produces testosterone, the mesonephric duct gradually differentiates into the male perinatal duct under the action of androgens. The cranial part of the mesonephric duct becomes the appendage of the epididymis, while the testicular efferent ductules derived from the mesonephric tubules, along with the epididymal duct that winds and coils around the underlying mesonephric duct, together form the head of the epididymis. The remaining epididymal ducts form the body and tail of the epididymis. Since patients with cryptorchidism often have epididymal malformations, their recurrence may be related to endocrine dysfunction during embryonic growth and development.