Clinico-pathological study of testicular involvement in leprosy

Twenty five patients of lepromatous leprosy were studied clinically and histopathologically for testicular involvement. Testicular pain or swelling was the commonest complaint (68%) followed by sterility (28%) and impotence (4%). Reduced testicular size associated with soft feel was observed in 76% patients. Gynaecomastia was present in 36% and altered sexual hair pattern in 24%. Eleven out of sixteen (69%) patients had oligo/azoospermia. Out of the twenty testicular biopsies 15 (75%) had definite histological evidence of leprous pathology, irrespective of testicular size, semen picture and clinical signs and symptoms. One out of three epididymal biopsies showed minimal changes. Histopathological changes varied markedly, it was not possible to categorize these into vascular, interstitial and obliterative phases.