Ectopic scrotum

Abstract: Authors from Korea present five children with perineal lipoma in association with a variety of scrotal anomalies They speculate that the development of perineal lipomas is closely related to scrotal anomalies, and speculate as to the reason why OBJECTIVE To analyse the characteristics of the perineal lipoma and speculate on its development, as an associated perineal lipoma is implicated in the occurrence of scrotal anomalies in children PATIENTS AND METHODS Five children with a perineal lipoma in association with various scrotal anomalies were included in the study We analysed the types of scrotal anomalies and their anatomical relationship with the perineal lipomas RESULTS One child had a supra-inguinal ectopic scrotum, and the others had penoscrotal transposition, either symmetrical or asymmetrical; they included two who had an accessory scrotum combined with a perineal lipoma The perineal lipoma was on the ipsilateral side of the upward-positioned hemiscrotum in the ectopic scrotum or the asymmetrical penoscrotal transposition, or it was on the mid-perineum in the symmetrical penoscrotal transposition CONCLUSIONS The perineal lipoma can be found combined with various scrotal anomalies, including ectopic scrotum as well as an accessory scrotum or penoscrotal transposition; this is the first report describing a perineal lipoma associated with an ectopic scrotum We speculate that the development of the perineal lipoma is closely related to scrotal anomalies, which result from early division and/or abnormal migration of the labioscrotal swelling The concomitant perineal lipoma might be formed during the process, and might affect abnormal scrotal development

Abstract: A mutant rat (TS) has been described with so-called ectopic scrotum, but the published photograph suggested that only the testes were ectopic. We established a colony of these inbred rats as a possible model for cryptorchidism. Five breeding pairs were obtained from the Imamichi Institute, Japan. Immature male offspring (0–21 days) were examined macro- and microscopically to document inguinoscrotal anatomy and gubernacular development. Uni- or bilateral, suprainguinal ectopic testes occurred in 39/46 males. Abnormal gubernacular position was visible microscopically by 3 days and macroscopically by 3–7 days of age. The processus vaginalis, cremaster muscle, and epididymis developed normally. The scrotum was hypoplastic but in the normal position. The TS rat is a new animal model for superficial inguinal ectopic testes, and will be invaluable for elucidating the cause of cryptorchidism and studying the effects of treatment. Our preliminary morphological studies suggest that the gubernaculum develops properly, but appears to migrate in the wrong direction.