Vascular lesions in testes associated with male infertility in Cameroon. Possible relationship to parasitic disease.

Testicular biopsies in 40 of 41 infertile males with severe oligospermia in Cameroon presented massive subendothelial "fibrinoid" deposits in the small and medium sized vessels. Fibrinogen, complement and IgM were demonstrated in these deposits by immunofluorescence. Evidence strongly suggestive of parasitic testicular involvement was also observed in 2 cases. It is postulated that the "fibrinoid" deposits are the result of repeated formation and deposition of circulating immune complexes by reaction of antibodies with antigens. These antigens could be of various origins and in the cases described here they could be derived from living or dying parasites in the region. The accumulation and incorporation of the "fibrinoid" deposits may lead to vascular stenosis resulting in chronic ischaemia, tubular atrophy and fibrosis, and finally oligospermia.