Viability of an inguinal testis after laparoscopic cauterization and transection of its blood supply.

The research article discusses a unique veterinary case where a horse, previously subjected to laparoscopic cauterization and transection to remove one of its testes, continued to display stallion-like behavior due to the presence of a viable testis within the scrotum.

Introduction and Background

The horse involved in this case study, a 25-month-old castrated horse, was initially evaluated for displaying male-like behavior, despite being castrated. A year back, the horse was diagnosed with bilateral cryptorchidism, a condition where one or both testes fail to descend. Post-diagnosis, it underwent a laparoscopic castration procedure. During this procedure, the left testis was completely removed from the abdominal cavity.

Laparoscopic Procedure and Initial Follow-up

• The right testis, however, located in the inguinal ring, was not removed. Instead, it was expected to undergo a process called avascular necrosis, where the tissue dies due to lack of blood supply, induced post laparoscopic cauterization and transection of the testicular vasculature. Essentially, this procedure cuts off the blood supply to the testis, causing it to die and, over time, be absorbed by the horse’s body.

Presenting Complaint and Subsequent Findings

• Twelve months post the laparoscopic procedure, the horse was admitted for an evaluation as it continued to display stallion-like behavior. Astonishingly, on physical examination, an operational right testis was discovered within the scrotum.
• The researchers administered human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone known to stimulate testosterone production, which resulted in testosterone concentration increase consistent with existing viable testicular tissue.
• These medical findings confirmed that the right inguinal testis remained functional despite the prior cauterization and transection procedure. Consequently, another surgical procedure was performed to completely remove the right testis, which should eliminate the stallion-like behavior in the horse.