Congenital Anomalies of the Vas Deferens and Epididymis

Congenital abnormalities of the mesonephric derivatives in males were once considered unusual, with only 74 cases of congenital vasal and epididymal anomalies recorded in urologic literature prior to 1949 (Lazarus and Marks, 1947; Michelson, 1949). More recently, with increased interest in the investigation and treatment of male infertility plus more careful observation and documentation of findings at orchiopexy, it is apparent that these abnormalities are relatively common. Their exact incidence, however, is undetermined and it is unlikely that it can be done accurately, as operative records of testicular or scrotal surgery generally do not provide detailed description of findings and hospital discharge coding is not specific enough. Also, most descriptions of anomalies of the testicular ducts are isolated case reports or are from selected populations and are therefore of limited statistical value (Badenoch, 1946; Dickinson, 1973; Emery et al., 1974; Mahboubi and Spackman, 1978; Nelson, 1950; Rosenberg and Urea, 1972; Rubin, 1975).