Exocrine function of testis with germinal testicular tumour

Semen collected immediately before or soon after therapeutic unilateral orchidectomy from 86 men with germinal tumours of the testis was analysed. The mean sperm count was 65.6 +/- SEM 10.3 X 10(6) per ejaculate. This was significantly different from that in a control population, in whom the mean was 165.2 +/- 12.9 X 10(6) per ejaculate. The difference appeared to be due to a subpopulation of 32 patients with counts of 20 X 10(6) per ejaculate; the distribution of counts in the remaining patients was similar to that in the controls. The cause of this abnormality of exocrine function is unknown: it may either be due to the tumour or its treatment, or both, or, alternatively, it may predate the events of the malignant transformation, possibly even acting as an inducing or promoting factor.