Seminal vesiculography: limited value in vesiculitis

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Radiology
• Pathology

Background:

• Chronic perineal pain can be associated with seminal vesiculitis.
• Seminal vesiculography is a diagnostic imaging technique for the seminal vesicles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic utility of seminal vesiculography in men with chronic perineal pain suggestive of seminal vesiculitis.
• To determine the specificity of seminal vesiculography findings compared to histological examination and clinical outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Seminal vesiculograms were performed on 44 men with chronic perineal pain.
• Radiographic findings were analyzed and compared to histological results from seminal vesiculectomies in 17 patients.
• Clinical outcomes were assessed in 15 patients post-surgery.

Main Results:

• Seminal vesiculograms were abnormal in 73% of patients, with a 'feathery' vas deferens appearance being the most common finding (64%).
• Histological examination of excised seminal vesicles was abnormal in only 20% of cases.
• Surgery improved pain in 80% of patients, despite limited histological confirmation of seminal vesiculitis.

Conclusions:

• Seminal vesiculography may help exclude anatomical abnormalities before treatment but is not specific enough for primary diagnosis of seminal vesiculitis.
• Radiographic findings do not consistently correlate with histological evidence of seminal vesiculitis or treatment outcomes.