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We summarized our experience in transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy (TSV) for recurrent hemospermia by introducing surgical techniques, intraoperative findings, and treatment outcomes. TSV was performed in 419 patients with an initial diagnosis of persistent hemospermia at Shanghai Changhai Hospital (Shanghai, China) from May 2007 to November 2015. TSV was successfully performed in 381 cases (90.9%). Hemospermia was alleviated or disappeared in 324 (85.0%) patients by 3 months after surgery. Common intraoperative manifestations were bleeding, obstruction or stenosis, mucosal lesions, and calculus. Endoscopic presentation of the ejaculatory duct orifice and the verumontanum was categorized into four types, including 8 (1.9%), 32 (7.6%), 341 (81.4%), and 38 (9.1%) cases in Types A, B, C, and D, respectively. TSV is an effective and safe procedure in the management of seminal tract disorders. This study may help other surgeons to become familiar with and improve this procedure. However, further multicentric clinical trials are warranted to validate these findings.

This study aimed to describe endoscopic anatomy of the seminal tract and summarize our experience of transutricular seminal vesiculoscopy (TSV) guided by real-time transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) in managing persistent hematospermia. A total of 281 consecutive patients with persistent hematospermia who underwent TSV with or without real-time TRUS were enrolled in this single-center, prospective, observational study. The median follow-up period was 36.5 (range: 8.0–97.5) months. TSV was successfully performed in 272 (96.8%) patients. The approach of a 4.5/6 F rigid vesiculoscope entering the seminal tract was categorized into four types on the basis of endoscopic presentation of the ejaculatory duct orifice and verumontanum. Seven (2.6%), 74 (27.2%), 64 (23.5%), and 127 (46.7%) patients had Types I (through the ejaculatory duct in the urethra), II (through the ejaculatory duct in the prostatic utricle), III (transutricular fenestration through a thin membrane), and IV (real-time transrectal ultrasound-guided transutricular fenestration) approach, respectively. In patients who successfully underwent surgery, bleeding occurred in the seminal vesicle in 249 (91.5%) patients. Seminal vesiculitis, calculus in the prostatic utricle, calculus in the ejaculatory duct, calculus in the seminal vesicle, prostatic utricle cysts, and seminal vesicle cysts were observed in 213 (78.3%), 96 (35.3%), 22 (8.1%), 81 (29.8%), 25 (9.2%), and 11 (4.0%) patients, respectively. Hematospermia was alleviated or disappeared in 244 (89.7%) patients 12 months after surgery. Fifteen patients had recurrent hematospermia, and the median time to recurrence was 7.5 (range: 2.0–18.5) months. TSV guided by TRUS may contribute to successful postoperative outcomes in managing persistent hematospermia.

Ectopic seminal tract opening is a rare congenital malformation. Until recently, there has been a lack of comprehensive reporting on the condition. The purpose of this retrospective study is to summarize the experience of diagnosis and treatment of this condition based on 28 clinical practice cases throughout the past 30 years. We conducted auxiliary examinations on such patients including routine tests, imaging examinations, and endoscopy. Among these 28 cases, there were ectopic opening of vas deferens into enlarged prostatic utricles (6 cases); ejaculatory ducts into enlarged prostatic utricles, Müllerian ducts cysts, and urethras (18 cases, 2 cases, and 1 case, respectively); and ectopic opening of the unilateral vas deferens and the contralateral ejaculatory duct into enlarged prostatic utricle (1 case). The size of the enlarged prostatic utricle, the type of ectopic seminal tract opening, and the opening's location effectively assisted in the selection of clinical treatment methods, including transurethral fenestration of the utricle, transurethral cold-knife incision, open operation, laparoscopic operation, and conservative treatment. Satisfactory effect was achieved during follow-up. In conclusion, a definite diagnosis and personalized treatment are especially important for patients with ectopic seminal tract opening.

Childhood inguinal herniorrhaphy is one common cause of seminal tract obstruction. Vasovasostomy (VV) can reconstruct seminal deferens and result in appearance of sperm and natural pregnancy in some patients. Secondary epididymal obstruction caused by a relatively long-term vasal obstruction is a common cause of lower patency compared with VV due to vasectomy in adults. From July 2007 to June 2012, a total of 62 patients, with history of childhood inguinal herniorrhaphy and diagnosed as obstructive azoospermia were treated in our center. The overall patency rate and natural pregnancy rate were 56.5% (35/62) and 25.8% (16/62), respectively. 48.4% (30/62) of the patients underwent bilateral VV in the inguinal region, with a patency rate of 76.7% (23/30) and a natural pregnancy rate of 36.7% (11/30), respectively. 30.6% (19/62) of the patients underwent bilateral VV and unilateral or bilateral vasoepididymostomies due to ipsilateral epididymal obstruction with the patency and natural pregnancy rate decreasing to 63.2% (12/19) and 26.3% (5/19). 21.0% (13/62) of the patients merely underwent vasal exploration without reconstruction due to failure to find distal vasal stump, etc. Our study indicate that microsurgical reanastomosis is an effective treatment for some patients with seminal tract obstruction caused by childhood inguinal herniorrhaphy.

We report a rare case of a left ejaculatory duct that allotropically protrudes towards or invades the left vesicle triangular area with its dead end. The patient simultaneously exhibited multiple congenital malformations of the homolateral urogenital system, such as absence of the left kidney, dysplasia and allotopia of the left seminal vesicle, absence of the left ureterostoma, separation between the left testis and the epididymis tail, and maldevelopment of the left testis. According to all clinical and laboratory evidence, the case represented a new syndrome, which we named Wuyang's syndrome. It involved a rare phenomenon in embryonic development; the dysplastic proximal vas precursor, having intruded into a common mesonephric duct and accidentally encroaching on the ureteric bud position, resulted in the absence or dysplasia of the homolateral urinary tract and ectopic invasion of the bladder by the homolateral seminal tract.