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Imaging of the Male Reproductive Tract

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Impotence and Infertility

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Abstract

Radiologic imaging may often play a critical role in the evaluation and management of patients with male factor infertility. Historically, the role of radiologic imaging was confined to vasography in the diagnosis of obstructive azoospermia. Today, radiologic imaging modalities have three indications in subfertile men. The first is the evaluation and management of obstruction of the excurrent ductal system in patients with azoospermia. Vasography, transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS), or seminal vesiculography is performed in this situation. The second indication is the evaluation and management of varicoceles, for which either venography or scrotal ultrasonography is routinely performed. Finally, radiologic imaging studies of the upper urinary tract are indicated for patients with congenital anomalies of the Wolffian duct system. Ultrasonography is the modality of choice for screening the upper tracts of men with vasal agenesis. Patients with bilateral vasal agenesis have a much lower frequency (< 20%) of upper tract abnormalities than patients with unilateral vasal agenesis (up to 70%). This chapter specifically discusses imaging modalities used in the management of obstruction and varicoceles.

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Authors
  1. Jonathan P. Jarow
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  2. Ronald J. Zagoria
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, USA

    Tom F. Lue MD (Professor, Chief of Urology) (Professor, Chief of Urology)

  2. Mt. Zion Hospital, San Francisco, California, USA

    Tom F. Lue MD (Professor, Chief of Urology) (Professor, Chief of Urology)

  3. Department of Urology, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College and Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, New York, USA

    Marc Goldstein MD (Professor, Director, Staff Scientist) (Professor, Director, Staff Scientist)

  4. Center for Male Reproductive Medicine and Microsurgery, Department of Urology, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA

    Marc Goldstein MD (Professor, Director, Staff Scientist) (Professor, Director, Staff Scientist)

  5. Center for Biomedical Research, The Population Council, New York, New York, USA

    Marc Goldstein MD (Professor, Director, Staff Scientist) (Professor, Director, Staff Scientist)

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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Jarow, J.P., Zagoria, R.J. (1999). Imaging of the Male Reproductive Tract. In: Lue, T.F., Goldstein, M. (eds) Impotence and Infertility. Current Medicine Group, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1105-8_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1105-8_10

  • Publisher Name: Current Medicine Group, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-0803-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-1105-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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