What are the epididymis?
The epididymides (epididymis, plural: epididymides) are – like the testicles – arranged in pairs, each lying on the back of a testicle and fused to it. They consist of a broad head (caput) projecting above the upper pole of the testis, a narrower body (corpus) attached to the posterior surface of the testis, and a slender tail (cauda) which, directed posteriorly, merges with the vas deferens. The length is five to six centimeters. Together with the testes, the epididymis are covered by peritoneum.
The immature spermatozoa formed in the testis pass through 12 to 15 tortuous ducts (ductuli efferentes testis) in the head of the epididymis into a highly tortuous tube, the epididymal duct (ductus epididymidis). It forms the body and tail of the epididymis and merges at the tail end into the initially still strongly coiled vas deferens (ductus deferens).
What is the function of the epididymis?
Where are the epididymides located?
The two epididymides are located in the scrotum at the back and upper pole of the testicles. They are surrounded by a finger-shaped protrusion of the peritoneum, which recedes shortly before birth except for a remnant that remains around the testis and epididymis.
What problems can the epididymis cause?
Epididymitis (inflammation of the epididymis) occurs mainly accompanying inflammation of the prostate or urinary tract. It must be treated without fail, otherwise there is a risk of infertility.
If the inflammation spreads to the spermatic cord, this is called epididymodeferentitis. In the case of simultaneous inflammation of the testicle and epididymis, doctors refer to it collectively as epididymoorchitis.
About ten percent of all tumors in the testicular area are tumors of the epididymis. Most of these are benign.
