Experimental testicular torsion--early and late morphological and enzymohistochemical changes.

It has been reported that testicular torsion leads to diminished fertility. This experimental study includes 32 mature male Wistar rats, divided into 3 groups. Group 1 (4 animals) served as a control group. Group 2 (16 animals) underwent an unilateral definitive ligature of the testicular vessels. Group 3 (12 animals) underwent right testicular torsion at 360 degrees, followed by detorsion at 4, 12 or 24 hours. Both testicles were removed at different terms after the operation and processed for histologic and enzymohistochemical studies. The results of the experiment indicate that a certain recovery of the structure and the enzyme activity may be expected only in case if the duration of the torsion lasts not more than 4 hours. After this period severe and irreversible changes in the ipsilateral testis and serious alterations in the contralateral testis occur.