[Clinico-morphological studies of epididymal cysts]

A clinico-morphologic study of epididymis cysts was made in 52 patients at mean age 39.4 years, observed over a period of 2 ys. 4 mos. In approximately half of the cases (49.2 per cent) the cysts were localized in the left epididymis. Four types of histologic structure were distinguished: 1. smooth outlines of the lumen, filled with spermatozoa, and wall built up of fibrous tissue and different proportion of smooth- muscle, elastic and reticular fibers, and lined with one-row ciliary columnar or cubic epithelium; 2. similar to the former structure, but without spermatozoa in the lumen; 3. stellate-outlined lumen without spermatozoa in it, with a wall built up of connective tissue and lined with one-row ciliary columnar epithelium; 4. the wall is stellate-folded, built up of loose connective tissue and lined with one-row cubic epithelium, forming micropapillary structures, without presence of spermatozoa. Considerable difficulties are pointed out in determining the types of cysts according to the nature of their epithelial lining and the structure of their wall. Precise classification is possible when thorough clinico-morphologic parallel is used.