[Ultrastructural study of the diseased and contralateral testes in unilateral testicular torsion].

In 15 patients with acute unilateral testicular torsion, bilateral orchiopexy was performed and biopsies were made at the same time for the purpose of light-microscopic (semi-thin section method) and electron-microscopic examination. All tissue specimens from the twisted and nontwisted gonads showed changes in the form of tubular atrophy, atrophy of the Leydig cells and malformation at the spermatid level. Nevertheless, it is not possible, on the basis of these findings, to determine definitely whether the disorders of spermatogenesis frequently found in unilateral testicular torsion are the result of congenital dysplasia or damage to the germinal epithelium caused by recurrent subtorsion.