LETTERS TO DIRECTOR/EDITOR

The study of vasa deferentia is important

Es importante el estudio histológico de los conductos deferentes

Dear Director,

This letter wants to stress some questions about the histological study of vasa deferetia after vasectomy. Sometimes, histological diagnosis differs from surgical criteria driving to unpleasant situations that can be avoided by having the tissues obtained evaluated by the pathologist (1-2).

We can show multiple examples, as the double vas deferens already ilustrated in this section. Now, we report a case of supposed double vas deferens not confirmed in the histological study.

The surgeon found two firm cords in the left side, compatible with two vasa deferens, one of them shorter and thinner. They converged in the deferential bulb, paralell to the spermatic cord (Figures 1-2). Both of them were tied, excised and remited for histologic study.

Diagnosis: two vasa deferens and one venous vas (supposed third vas deferens) all of them without significant histological alterations (Figures 3-4).

Nowdays we must avoid the risk in clinical actions with legal implications. Not remiting vasa deferetia after vasectomy for histological confirmation has high risk. Histological confirmation of vas deferens is simple and permits us doing an easy differential diagnosis limiting the mentioned risk.

Francisco Javier Torres Gómez, Juan Manuel Poyato Galán¹ y Pilar Fernández Machín.
Unidad de Anatomía Patológica y Unidad de Urología¹. Hospital de Alta Resolución de Utrera. Sevilla. España.

Nota del editor:

Coincido totalmente con los autores y creo que TODOS deberíamos seguir su prudente consejo.

E. Pérez-Castro Ellendt.

References

1. Damle S, Corten CC, Moore EE. Double trouble: duplication of vas deferens encountered during inguinal hernia repair. J Am Coll Surg 2005; 201(1): 141.        [ Links ]

2. Binderow SR, Shah KD, Dolgin SE. True duplication of the vas deferens. J Pediatr Surg 1993; 28(2): 269-70.        [ Links ]