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Transrectal ultrasonography of infertile men
1Department of Urology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157-1094.
Objective:
To determine normal transrectal ultrasonographic anatomy in young men and the frequency of abnormalities in the infertile population.
Design:
Transrectal ultrasonography was performed upon 30 fertile volunteers and 150 consecutive men referred for male factor infertility.
Setting:
A male fertility center.
Results:
Transrectal ultrasonography was normal in 60% of controls and 53% of infertile group. The frequency of hyperechoic lesions within the prostate was similar in controls (40%) and infertile men (39%). Müllerian duct cysts were present in 11% of the infertile men and none of the volunteers. Rectal exam was normal in all of the men.
Conclusions:
Transrectal ultrasonography is more sensitive at detecting abnormalities of the seminal vesicles and prostate than rectal exam. Hyperechoic lesions within the prostate is frequently a normal finding. Müllerian duct cysts are more frequently observed in infertile men and may be a cause of ejaculatory duct obstruction.