A morphological study of simple testicular cysts in the ostrich ( Struthio camelus)

Abstract

Simple testicular cysts are rare in mammals and of unknown aetiology, but dietary conditions have been implicated in this phenomenon in poultry. This study characterises the structural features of simple intratesticular cysts in the ostrich. Seven testes from a total of 15 sexually mature ostriches slaughtered during the breeding season were used. The testes contained multifocal, fluid-filled, unilocular cysts which were lined by a simple squamous or low cuboidal epithelium and surrounded by a thick layer of fibrous connective tissue. The cysts developed within seminiferous tubules and displayed morphological features similar to those reported in man and domestic poultry. The testis parenchyma revealed several foci composed of intermingled normal seminiferous tubules and variably sized intratesticular cysts. The atrophic tubules lay within a mass of hyperplastic, fibroblastic intertubular connective tissue in the proximity of large cysts and their formation appeared to result from hydrostatic pressure exerted by cysts. Morphological evidence supports a continuous process of cyst formation in the affected testis and a concomitant progressive loss of atrophic seminiferous tubules. A pathogenetic scenario of cyst formation and the effect of simple cysts on testicular histology has been proposed. Although the course of this phenomenon remains unknown, its impact on the fertility of this economically important bird deserves closer scrutiny.