Testis Mass Research Articles

First Case Report of Primary Testicular Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma from the Western Region of Saudi Arabia

Primary testicular lymphoma (PTL) represents 1-2% of all types of non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) and 1-10% of testicular neoplasms. Up to the best of my knowledge, this is the first case of PTL of the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in a 60-year-old man presented with a painless mass in the left testis as revealed by physical examination in a tertiary care hospital in Al-Madinah Al-Munwarah in the western region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Radiological examination revealed a large well-defined heterogeneous predominantly hypo-echoic mass with increased vascularity in the upper portion of the testis. On the other hand, histopathological examination revealed a tumor involving the whole left testis, which was large (measuring 6 3.5 3.3 cm), solid and dark red with focal areas of hemorrhage and epididymal infiltration. Immunohistochemistry showed positivity of leucocyte common antigen (LCA), pan B-cell marker (CD20) and negativity of pan T-cell marker (CD3). Other immunohistochemical markers such as CD10, placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), cytokeratin, vimentin, desmin and S100 protein were also negative. However, there was a marked expression of Ki67 and Bcl2 markers. Accordingly, the diagnosis of DLBCL was established. The tumor was classified as stage I according to the Ann Arbor system. The case was treated by orchiectomy followed by prophylactic anthracycline-based chemotherapy and irradiation of the contralateral testis and central nervous system.

Sex in the city: sexual selection and urban colonization in passerines.

Urbanization leads to a rapid and drastic transformation of habitats, forcing native fauna to manage novel ecological challenges or to move. Sexual selection is a powerful evolutionary force, which is sometimes predicted to enhance the ability of species to adapt to novel environments because it allows females to choose high-quality males, but other times is predicted to reduce the viability of populations because it pushes males beyond naturally selected optima. However, we do not know whether or how sexual selection contributes to the likelihood that animals will establish in urban areas. We use a comparative analysis of passerine birds to test whether traits associated with pre- and post-mating sexual selection predict successful colonization of urban areas. We found that plumage dichromatism was negatively associated with urban tolerance, but found no relationship with sexual size dimorphism or testes mass relative to body mass. While we cannot determine the exact reason why species with high plumage dichromatism occur less in cities, it is likely that urban areas increase the costs of expressing bright coloration due, for instance, to dietary constraints, limited male parental care or increased predation.

Differences in semen quality, testicular histomorphology, fertility, reproductive hormone levels, and expression of candidate genes according to sperm motility in Beijing-You chickens

Sperm motility is used to predict the semen quality and fertilization ability of breeder roosters. Indigenous chicken breeder roosters show variation in sperm motility, but less has been known about its relationship with other reproductive attributes. In this study, 40- to 44-wk-old Beijing-You breeder roosters with the high and low sperm motility phenotypes (n = 15 in each group) were identified and compared, with regard to their semen characteristics, reproductive hormone concentrations, testicular histomorphology, fertility capacity, and genes expression of hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase (H-PGDS) and wingless-type MMTV integration site family, member 2 (WNT2). The low sperm motility roosters showed lower semen volume (P = 0.003) and sperm viability (P = 0.008). Like semen donors in the artificial insemination test, the low sperm motility roosters showed lower fertility than the high sperm motility roosters (P < 0.001). No difference in the serum concentration of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH, P = 0.347), luteinizing hormone (LH, P = 0.376), or testosterone (T, P = 0.068) was found between the high and low sperm motility roosters. Furthermore, among roosters with similar BW, the low sperm motility roosters had smaller testis mass (P = 0.037), seminiferous tubules diameter (P = 0.031), spermatogenic epithelium height (P = 0.001), and Johnsen score (P = 0.005) than the high sperm motility ones. Finally, the expression of both H-PGDS and WNT2, which are involved in the prostaglandin D2 and WNT signaling pathways, respectively, was low in the testis of the low sperm motility phenotype roosters (P < 0.05). Thus, the findings of the present study indicated that the testis of low sperm motility showed impaired testicular histomorphology as compared to normal; the BW, testis weight, and serum FSH, LH, and T levels are associated with sperm production, but not with sperm motility, and that low expression of H-PGDS and WNT2 may be related with the abnormal testicular morphology of low sperm motility birds which deserves further functional validation studies.

Aqueous and ethanol extracts ofDracaena arborea(Wild) Link (Dracaenaceae) alleviate reproductive complications of diabetes mellitus in rats

Reproductive dysfunction is one of the most prevalent diabetes complications. Draceana arborea is known to enhance sexual function in diabetic rats, but the underlying mechanisms have not been thoroughly elucidated. This study examined the effects of D.arborea on some reproductive complications of diabetes in rats. Aqueous and ethanol (500 and 100mg/kg respectively) extracts of D.arborea, Sildenafil citrate (1.44mg/kg), trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO, 20mg/kg) and distilled water (10ml/kg) were orally administered for 28days to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Glycaemia, body and reproductive organ masses, fertility parameters, total proteins, antioxidant enzymes activities, serum and testicular testosterone and the histology of the testes and epididymis were determined. Results revealed significant decreases in body and absolute and relative masses of testes, epididymis, seminal vesicles, prostate and vas deferens, fertility parameters, epididymal and testicular total proteins, serum and testicular testosterone levels as well as antioxidant enzymes activities. Interestingly, while having minor anti-hyperglycaemic effects, these abnormalities associated with testicular and epididymal alterations were alleviated by D.arborea especially the aqueous extract (500mg/kg). These outcomes provided evidence of the androgenic properties of D.arborea in diabetic rats, which could be useful for a better management of sexual dysfunctions in diabetic patients.

At the invasion front, male cane toads (Rhinella marina) have smaller testes.

As a colonizing species expands its range, individuals at the invasion front experience different evolutionary pressures than do those at the range-core. For example, low densities at the edge of the range mean that males should rarely experience intense sperm competition from rivals; and investment into reproduction may trade-off with adaptations for more rapid dispersal. Both of these processes are predicted to favour a reduction in testis size at the invasion front. To explore effects of invasion stage in Australian cane toads (Rhinella marina), we collected and dissected 214 adult males from three regions: one in the species' range-core (northeastern Australia), and two from invasion fronts (one in northwestern Australia and one in southeastern Australia). Despite the brief duration of separation between toads in these areas (approx. 85 years), testis masses averaged greater than 30% higher (as a proportion of body mass) in range-core males than in conspecifics sampled from either vanguard of the invasion. Previous work has documented low reproductive frequencies in female cane toads at the invasion front also, consistent with the hypothesis that evolutionary and ecological pressures unleashed by an invasion can favour relatively low resource allocation to reproduction in both sexes.

Sperm morphology and evidence for sperm competition among parrots.

Sperm competition is an important component of post‐copulatory sexual selection that has shaped the evolution of sperm morphology. Previous studies have reported that sperm competition has a concurrently directional and stabilizing effect on sperm size. For example, bird species that show higher levels of extrapair paternity and larger testes (proxies for the intensity of sperm competition) have longer sperm and lower coefficients of variation in sperm length, both within and between males. For this reason, these sperm traits have been proposed as indexes to estimate the level of sperm competition in species for which other measures are not available. The relationship between sperm competition and sperm morphology has been explored mostly for bird species that breed in temperate zones, with the main focus on passerine birds. We measured sperm morphology in 62 parrot species that breed mainly in the tropics and related variation in sperm length to life‐history traits potentially indicative of the level of sperm competition. We showed that sperm length negatively correlated with the within‐male coefficient of variation in sperm length and positively with testes mass. We also showed that sperm is longer in sexually dichromatic and in gregarious species. Our results support the general validity of the hypothesis that sperm competition drives variation in sperm morphology. Our analyses suggest that post‐copulatory sexual selection is also important in tropical species, with more intense sperm competition among sexually dichromatic species and among species that breed at higher densities.

Sperm size is negatively related to relative testis size in West African riverine cichlid fishes.

Fishes show a great diversity of mating systems and fertilization mechanisms. This diversity creates an enormous potential for sperm competition. Typically, monogamous species face a low risk of sperm competition and invest less into sperm, and thus show smaller relative testis mass compared to polygamous species with high sperm competition. In cichlids, sperm competition risk is very variable. In lacustrine East African cichlids, large sperm are interpreted as an adaptation to sperm competition, as in those species sperm length correlates with sperm swimming speed. The aim of the present study was to examine variation in sperm and testis traits of substrate breeding cichlids from West African river systems and its relationship to sperm competition. Therefore, sperm traits (total sperm size, flagellum-, midpiece-, and head size) and sperm number were related to the gonadosomatic index (GSI), an indicator of sperm competition, in eight species of two large informal tribes, the chromidotilapiines and the haplotilapiines. We found significant differences between species in all examined sperm traits, sperm number, and GSI with pronounced differences between chromidotilapiines and haplotilapiines. We used a generalized least-squares approach to control for non-independence of data. GSI was positively correlated with sperm number but negatively correlated with total sperm size (also negatively with the flagellum and head size but not significantly with midpiece size). Sperm number and sperm size were negatively correlated suggesting a trade-off between sperm size and quality. Our results suggest that large sperm can evolve in species with relatively low sperm expenditure and probably in absence of high sperm competition between males.

Enhanced ambient UVB radiation affects post-mating, but not pre-mating sexual traits in a fish.

Organisms inhabiting shallow aquatic habitats currently experience increasing levels of solar ultraviolet B radiation (UVB). UVB causes damage on cellular and molecular levels and can affect associated life-history traits either through direct exposure or indirectly through oxidative stress generation. We examined UVB effects on pre- and post-mating sexual traits in three-spined stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Adult, reproductively non-active males were assigned to two exposure treatments under semi-natural conditions in an outdoor experiment; one group received natural radiation (UVBnormal) whilst the other group received additional UVB (UVBenhanced). After two months, colour metrics were used to quantify male breeding colouration as pre-mating trait. At the post-mating stage, sperm morphology, number and movement as well as testes mass were determined. Males did not significantly differ in sexual ornamentation between treatments, but UVBenhanced fish had smaller testes as well as fewer and shorter sperm than UVBnormal fish. Sperm movement was not significantly different between treatments. However, in UVBenhanced males, linear and progressive movement of sperm was positively correlated with sperm morphology (head-to-tail length ratio), whereas in UVBnormal males this relationship was negative (but not significant). Additionally, there was a significant treatment by body condition interaction concerning head-to-tail length ratio, i.e. head-to-tail length ratio increased with condition in UVBnormal males whereas there was no relationship in UVBenhanced fish. Our findings reveal that increased UVB levels influence post-mating fitness-relevant traits in males whilst having no significant impact on pre-mating sexual traits, suggesting selectiveUVB-effects at the gamete level with consequences for reproductive performance.

DMAPT is an Effective Radioprotector from Long-Term Radiation-Induced Damage to Normal Mouse Tissues In Vivo.

While radiotherapy is widely used in cancer treatment, the benefits can be limited by radiation-induced damage to neighboring healthy tissues. We previously demonstrated in mice that the anti-inflammatory compound dimethylaminoparthenolide (DMAPT) selectively induces radiosensitivity in prostate tumor tissue from transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP) mice, while simultaneously protecting healthy tissues from 6 Gy whole-body radiation-induced apoptosis. Here, we examined the radioprotective effect of DMAPT on fibrosis in normal tissues after a partial-body fractionated radiation protocol that more closely mimics the image-guided fractionated radiotherapy protocols used clinically. Male C57BL/6J mice, 16 weeks old, received 20 Gy fractionated doses of X rays (2 Gy daily fractions, five days/week for two weeks) or sham irradiation to the lower abdomen, with or without a prior 20 mGy dose to mimic an image dose. In addition, mice received thrice weekly DMAPT (100 mg/kg by oral gavage) or vehicle control from 15 weeks of age until time of analysis at 6 weeks postirradiation. In the absence of exposure to radiation, there were no significant differences observed in the tissues of DMAPT and vehicle-treated mice (P > 0.05). DMAPT treatment significantly reduced radiation-induced testis weight loss by 60.9% (P < 0.0001), protected against a decrease in the seminiferous tubule diameter by 42.1% (P < 0.0001) and largely preserved testis morphology. Inclusion of the image dose had no significant effect on testis mass, seminiferous tubule diameter or testis morphology. DMAPT reduced radiation-induced fibrosis in the corpus cavernous region of the penis (98.1% reduction, P = 0.009) and in the muscle layer around the bladder (80.1% reduction, P = 0.0001). There was also a trend towards reduced collagen infiltration into the submucosal and muscle layers in the rectum. These results suggest that DMAPT could be useful in providing protection from the radiation-induced side effects of impotence and infertility, urinary incontinence and fecal urgency resulting from prostate cancer radiotherapy. DMAPT is a very well-tolerated drug and can conveniently be delivered orally without strict time windows relative to radiation exposure. Protection of normal tissues by DMAPT could potentially be useful in radiotherapy of other cancer types as well.

Release from intralocus sexual conflict? Evolved loss of a male sexual trait demasculinizes female gene expression.

The loss of sexual ornaments is observed across taxa, and pleiotropic effects of such losses provide an opportunity to gain insight into underlying dynamics of sex-biased gene expression and intralocus sexual conflict (IASC). We investigated this in a Hawaiian field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus, in which an X-linked genotype ( flatwing) feminizes males' wings and eliminates their ability to produce sexually selected songs. We profiled adult gene expression across somatic and reproductive tissues of both sexes. Despite the feminizing effect of flatwing on male wings, we found no evidence of feminized gene expression in males. Instead, female transcriptomes were more strongly affected by flatwing than males', and exhibited demasculinized gene expression. These findings are consistent with a relaxation of IASC constraining female gene expression through loss of a male sexual ornament. In a follow-up experiment, we found reduced testes mass in flatwing males, whereas female carriers showed no reduction in egg production. By contrast, female carriers exhibited greater measures of body condition. Our results suggest sex-limited phenotypic expression offers only partial resolution to IASC, owing to pleiotropic effects of the loci involved. Benefits conferred by release from intralocus conflict could help explain widespread loss of sexual ornaments across taxa.

Testis-sparing surgery for testicular masses: current perspectives.

Males who present with a palpable testis nodule are likely to have malignant germ cell tumor in >90% of cases. Therefore radical orchiectomy remains the standard of care for intratesticular tumors. However, due to the recent developments of high-frequency probes in ultrasonography, the incidence of detecting a small non-palpable testis tumor is higher and higher. These lesions are thought to be benign in more than 60-80% of cases, thus a radical orchiectomy should be considered an overtreatment. In addition to that, radical orchiectomy might cause infertility, psychological issues and endocrine disorders, hence an organ-sparing procedure in such cases should be pursued. Only fourteen reliable retrospective studies met the inclusion criteria. No prospective randomized trials have appeared in Medline database. This review of the current literature has confirmed the safety and efficacy of testicular-sparing surgery in selected patients: 1) monorchid patients; 2) bilateral testis masses; 3) normal patients with a small, non-palpable masses detected with US, as long as the dimension of the lesion is up to 3 cm and not greater that 30% of the total volume of the organ. According to the literature, testis sparing surgery is a safe and feasible procedure for patients presenting a benign small testis mass. The enthusiasm found in the literature should however be tempered as the small number of patients reported in the studies coupled with the absence of a prospective trial represent important limits that need to be overtaken. Therefore more robust and well-designed studies are needed.

Free-floating Paratesticular Calcifying Fibrous Pseudotumors in a Pediatric Patient

Paratesticular masses are a relatively common finding in males. The majority are benign, as opposed to testis masses, which tend to be malignant. Fibrous pseudotumors are rare, but are the third most common paratesticular tumor after adenomatoid and lipoma. The exact cause is unclear but likely from a fibroinflammatory reaction. Because of the non-specific findings on physical exam and scrotal ultrasound, patients may undergo scrotal exploration and occasionally orchiectomy, in spite of the benign nature of this lesion. Here we report the rare case of free-floating paratesticular calcifying fibrous pseudotumors in a prepubertal patient.

Primary testicular diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a single center experience

Objective To review the experience of the clinical diagnosis and treatment of primary testicular diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Methods A review was made who were treated in the Tumor Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2011 to November 2018. The average age of the patients was 58 years old, with 4 cases in left side and 8 cases in right side. All patients were admitted to hospital with painless testicle mass. Solid mass of testis were detected by ultrasound with no abnormality in tumor markers. All patients underwent orchiectomy and followed by chemotherapy. Results Twelve primary testicular lymphoma (PTL) were identified by pathology, with 8 cases in phase I, 2 cases in phase II, 1 case in phase III , and 1 case in phase IV. The mean follow-up was 31 months. Inguinal orchiectomy was recommended as a diagnositc and initial therapy. All patients underwent R-CHOP/CHOP chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone with or without rituximab, including 6 cases with R-CHOP and 6 cases with CHOP. Nine of 12 patients underwent intrathecal prophylatic chemotherapy and 6 of 12 patients underwent contralateral testicle radiotherapy. Relapse occured in 2 patient with CHOP in central nervous system and died of the disease. One case with CHOP relapsed in abdominal cavity. No contralateral testicle relapse was observed. Conclusions PTL is a rare extranodal lymphoma. Painless testicle tumor in men over 50 years old should suspect of this disease. Inguinal orchiectomy is an important part of the treatment, which combines systemic chemotherapy and prophylactic modalities such as radiotherapy of contralateral testis and/or central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis. Key words: Lymphoma, B cell; Testis; Treatment; Prognosis

Sertoli Cell Efficiency of the Neotropical Bats Anoura geoffroyi, Artibeus lituratus and Myotis levis (Mammalia: Chiroptera)

Sertoli cells play an essential role in spermatogenesis, being determinant of male reproduction capability. In this study we determined and compared the Sertoli cell efficiency (SCE), i.e. the ratio of the number of round spermatids to the number of Sertoli cells, of three species of Neotropical chiropterans, Anoura geoffroyi, Artibeus lituratus and Myotis levis, and additionally we tested for correlations between SCE, the combined mass of the testes and epididymides (CMTE), and the body condition index (BCI), considering that both BCI and testis mass can influence gonadal function of males. For SCE determination, the number of round spermatids and Sertoli cells present in stage 1 of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium were counted. The Sertoli cell efficiency (mean ± 1 SD) was 4 ± 2.4 for A. geoffroyi, 4 ± 1.0 for A. lituratus and 6 ± 2.0 for M. levis. No significant variation was observed in SCE among the species, but A. lituratus exhibited a statistically significant correlation between CMTE and BCI. Anoura geoffroyi and M. levis exhibited significant positive correlations between SCE and CMTE, but not between SCE and BCI. Previous studies have shown that, unlike A. lituratus, A. geoffroyi and M. levis are subject to strong mating pressures, leading us to hypothesize that these findings may be related to differential mating pressures between species.

What can we deduce about the reproductive condition of spinifex hopping mice (Notomys alexis) from external examination?

Field studies often use external examination of the vagina or the swelling of the scrotum to make deductions about the reproductive condition of rodents. In this study we sought to determine what information on reproductive condition could be gained from external examination of the reproductive anatomy of spinifex hopping mice (Notomys alexis) using individuals from a captive colony. Female N. alexis with perforate vaginae had a significantly larger mean uterine mass and larger mean maximum ovarian follicle diameter than non-perforate females. Corpora lutea were recorded in two perforate animals but were not present in females with a ‘pinhole’-size perforate or non-perforate vagina. In male hopping mice scrotal bulge size was unrelated to testes mass, ventral prostate mass or presence/absence of sperm in the cauda epididymides. Males with dark scrotal pigmentation had a significantly smaller mean testes mass than males with light or no pigmentation. However, there was no relationship between scrotal pigmentation and ventral prostate mass or sperm presence in the cauda epididymides. Our study suggests that vaginal perforation is an acceptable indicator of sexual maturity in female hopping mice, but scrotal bulge size and scrotal pigmentation should not be used to predict reproductive condition of males.

Rapamycin-mediated mTOR inhibition impairs silencing of sex chromosomes and the pachytene piRNA pathway in the mouse testis.

Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) controls cell growth and metabolism in response to environmental and metabolic signals. Rapamycin robustly extends the lifespan in mammals and has clinical relevance in organ transplantation and cancer therapy but side effects include male infertility. Here, we report that chronic rapamycin treatment causes spermatogenic arrest in adult male mice due to defects in sex body formation and meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). Many sex chromosome-linked genes were up-regulated in isolated pachytene spermatocytes from rapamycin-treated mice. RNA-Seq analysis also identified mRNAs encoding the core piRNA pathway components were decreased. Furthermore, rapamycin treatment was associated with a drastic reduction in pachytene piRNA populations. The inhibitory effects of rapamycin on spermatogenesis were partially reversible, with restoration of testis mass and sperm motility within 2 months of treatment cessation. Collectively, we have defined an essential role of mTOR in MSCI and identified a novel function as a regulator of small RNA homeostasis in male germ cells.

Effect of population density on relationship between pre- and postcopulatory sexual traits

Abstract Sexual selection theory states that the premating (ornaments and armaments) sexual traits should trade off with the postmating (testes and ejaculates) sexual traits, assuming that growing and maintaining these traits is expensive and that total reproductive investments are limited. Male-male competition and sperm competition are predicted to affect how males allocate their finite resources to these traits. Here, we studied relative expenditure on pre- and postmating sexual traits among 82 species for three mammalian orders with varying population density using comparative phylogenetic analysis. The results showed that population density affected sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in both Artiodactyla and Carnivora, but not in Primates. However, relative testis mass and sperm size were not affected by population density. Moreover, we did not find associations between the SSD and testis mass or sperm size in three taxonomic groups. The interspecific relationships between pre- and postcopulatory sexual traits did not change with increased population density. Our findings suggest that population density did not affect variation in the relationship between pre- and postcopulatory sexual traits for these three mammalian orders.

Isolated Testicular Tuberculosis in a 9-Year-Old Boy: An Incidental Finding

Isolated testicular Tuberculosis (TB) is a rare clinical condition. A 9-year old boy presented to the paediatric surgical clinic with a 3-month history of a painless mass in the right testis and 1-month history of low- grade continuous fever. The boy had normal anthropometry, no abnormal respiratory signs, there was a right hemiscrotal swelling with a solid hard, non- tender mass felt on the upper pole of the right testis. The chest radiograph was normal, histopatholgic results of the mass showed tuberculotic granuloma with caseous necrosis, FBC revealed WBC of 9.7×10³/MM³, HCT-33% Platelets-357×10³/MM³, Neutrophil-24, Lymphocyte-34, Eosinophils-1O, Monocyte-30, Basophils-2, ESR-26mm/hr, Mantoux-0mm², Cytology smear revealed a mixed inflammation consisting mainly neutrophils and plasma cells with an eosinophilic background. Hydrocele fluid aspirate for M/C/S showed no significant bacterial growth. To date, no clinical method has been defined for the definitive diagnosis of such cases and the definitive diagnosis is only achieved by surgical exploration and histopathological examination. Testicular tuberculosis (TB), a rare form of (EP-TB), may present with diagnostic challenge.

When to fight? Disentangling temperature and circadian effects on aggression and agonistic contests

Agonistic behaviour is an important component of intraspecific competition because outcomes of agonistic contests can serve as indicators of fitness, helping the victors secure critical resources. Although several factors affecting aggression, including age and body size, have been well documented, few studies have examined the effects of abiotic factors on aggression and outcomes of agonistic contests. Abiotic factors affect a broad range of behaviours and can naturally covary, but some factors are becoming increasingly uncoupled. For example, ongoing climate change continues to shift temperature, but not light:dark, cycles. Thus, we employed a 2 × 2 factorial design in sand field crickets, Gryllus firmus, to disentangle the naturally covarying effects of temperature and circadian rhythms. During early adulthood, virgin males were maintained in either a typical or inverted diel temperature cycle (i.e. cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon, or warm in the morning and cool in the afternoon, respectively) reflecting field conditions (20.5–32 °C). Agonistic contests occurred at either cool (22 °C) or warm (31 °C) periods in the temperature cycle. Morphological traits, such as head width, femur length and testes mass, positively covaried and influenced the outcome of contests where relatively large crickets won most contests. However, temperature and time of day had additive, interactive effects on the level of aggression and the duration of contests. Contests occurring in cool, morning conditions were relatively long and aggressive. Although crickets appeared to use a mutual assessment strategy (contests between males of mismatched body size took longer to initiate), there may have been a context-dependent shift to a self-assessment strategy during warm evenings. Thus, plasticity in agonistic behaviour occurred due to the interactive, additive effects of temperature and circadian dynamics. We encourage continued investigation into studies that disentangle the effects of temperature and circadian effects on other fitness-related behaviours, such as mate choice or foraging.

High orchiectomy and ipsilateral testicular sperm extraction in a man with a testicular tumor and Klinefelter syndrome: A case report

IntroductionTesticular epidermal cysts in Klinefelter syndrome are very rare. We report a case of Klinefelter syndrome associated with a testicular epidermal cyst. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing successful spermatozoa retrieval from the affected testis.Case presentationA 25‐year‐old married man was referred to our hospital with right scrotal induration, which was in lower pole of the right testis. Testicular cancer tumor markers were normal; endocrinological findings indicated hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. Semen analyses revealed azoospermia. Preoperative chromosome test result: 47, XXY karyotype; ultrasonography report: 1.9‐cm internal heterogeneous echoic mass in the right testis (malignancy not discarded). Because the patient hoped for children, he underwent high orchiectomy with ipsilateral testicular sperm extraction (200 spermatozoa from normal testicular tissue) for future fertilization procedures. Tumor pathology was an epidermal cyst.ConclusionWhile performing orchiectomy for testicular tumors, sperm retrieval should be attempted from normal tissues in patients planning for children.