Ultrasonography for Monitoring Reproductive Function in the Bull

Abstract

Diagnostic ultrasonography has been widely used for examination of the reproductive tract of female cattle, but more sparingly in bulls. Typical clinical ultrasonographic examinations of bull testes are unlikely to affect semen quality or sperm production. The ultrasonographic anatomy of bull testes and accessory sex glands has been reported. Although testicular echogenicity increased (i.e. the parenchyma appeared more white) as a bull approached puberty, echogenicity was not superior to scrotal circumference as a predictor of puberty. Ultrasonography can be used to detect and characterize testicular pathology. It is noteworthy that areas of increased echogenicity (testicular fibrosis) are common, especially in young bulls, but are not associated with decreased semen quality (e.g. percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm). Neither visual evaluation nor computerized pixel analysis of testicular ultrasonic echotexture was consistently predictive of semen quality in bulls. Therefore, we concluded that the primary clinical use of ultrasonography in assessment of reproductive function in the bull is characterization of grossly detectable lesions in the testes and scrotum.