Objectives: Previous studies concerning ultrasound evaluation of the seminal vesicles (SV) were performed on a limited series of subjects, and considered few parameters, often only before ejaculation and without assessing the patients' sexual abstinence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the volume and the emptying characteristics of the SV and their possible correlations with scrotal and transrectal ultrasound features. Methods: The SV of 368 men seeking medical care for couple infertility were evaluated by ultrasound. All patients underwent, during the same ultrasound session, scrotal and transrectal evaluation, before and after ejaculation, and the ejaculate was subjected to semen analysis. A new parameter, SV ejection fraction, calculated as: [(SV volume before ejaculation — SV volume after ejaculation)/SV volume before ejaculation] X 100, was evaluated. Results: After adjusting for sexual abstinence and age, both pre-ejaeulatory SV volume and SV ejection fraction were positively associated with ejaculate volume. As assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve, a cut-off for SV ejection fraction of 21.6% discriminates subjects with normal ejaculate volume (>1.5 ml) and pH (s7.2 ml) with both sensitivity and specificity equal to 75%. Subjects with SV ejection fraction of <21.6% more often had a higher post-ejaculatory SV volume and ejaculatory duct abnormalities. Furthermore, a higher post-ejaculatory SV volume was associated with a higher prostate volume and SV abnormalities. Higher epididymal and deferential diameters were also detected in subjects with a higher post-ejaculatory SV volume or reduced SV ejection fraction. No association between SV and testis ultrasound features or sperm parameters was observed. Associations with SV ejection fraction were confirmed in nested 1:1 case-control analysis. Conclusions: The SV contribute significantly to the ejaculate volume. A new parameter, SV ejection fraction, could be useful in assessing SV emptying. A SV ejection fraction of <21.6% was associated with prostate-vesicular and epididymal ultrasound abnormalities.
展开▼
机译：目的：先前有关精囊囊超声评估的研究是在一系列有限的受试者上进行的，考虑的参数很少，通常仅在射精前且未评估患者的性禁欲。这项研究的目的是评估SV的体积和排空特性，以及它们与阴囊和经直肠超声特征的可能相关性。方法：超声检查368例因夫妻不育而就医的男性的SV。在同一次超声检查期间，在射精前后对所有患者进行阴囊和经直肠评估，并对射精进行精液分析。评估新的参数SV射血分数，其计算公式为：[（射精前的SV体积-射精后的SV体积）/射精前的SV体积] X 100。结果：调整了性禁欲和年龄后，射精前的SV量和SV射血分数均与射精量呈正相关。根据接受者的工作特征曲线评估，SV射血分数的临界值为21.6％，可区分正常射精量（> 1.5 ml）和pH（s7.2 ml）的受试者，其敏感性和特异性均等于75％。 SV射血分数<21.6％的受试者更经常出现较高的射精后SV量和射精管异常。此外，射精后较高的SV体积与较高的前列腺体积和SV异常有关。在较高的射精后SV体积或SV射血分数降低的受试者中，也检测到较高的附睾直径和推导直径。 SV和睾丸超声特征或精子参数之间没有关联。在嵌套的1：1病例对照分析中证实了与SV射血分数的关联。结论：SV对射精量有显着贡献。一个新的参数SV射血分数可用于评估SV排空。低于21.6％的SV射血分数与前列腺囊泡和附睾超声异常有关。
展开▼
