Chapter XVII: Section X: The Male Genitalia

Affections of the penis are limited to phimosis and occasional inflammations on a traumatic basis. The latter is best seen in carnivorous animals like raccoons and coatis, but has little pathological interest. Two cases of phimosis have been seen at the autopsy table and one in an animal (hyena) still living. The last was operated upon some years ago and has given no trouble since. The prepuce of this beast is seldom retracted, but no swelling or retention of urine has occurred. A Red River Hog (_Potamochœrus porous_) dying of a variety of lesions, was found to have contracted preputial opening, the edges of which were tight and adherent to the glans penis at various spots. The prepuce had been dilated with urine to a large size from which collection the fluid could be pressed dropwise only by considerable pressure. Opening the sac revealed forty to fifty gray white sand granules about the size of millet seeds. A gray fox (_Canis cinereo argenteus_) had a mild grade of phimosis; in this case probably traumatism had some etiological relation, for it is the one referred to before in which a terminal urethral stricture was followed by rupture of the bladder.

The testes have been peculiarly free of disease, only a small number of lesions having been found. A raccoon had an acute inflammation, traumatic in origin, and a few passerine birds were noted as showing involvement of this organ in the presence of some general infectious diseases. Two tumors were found in birds, none in mammals. The avian cases both occurred in Red shouldered Parrakeets (_Palæornis eupatrius_) and were round cell sarcomata, without metastases.

Acute inflammations of the prostate and Cowper’s glands occurred only once as secondary to pelvic infection. Chronic change was observed in these bodies on two occasions, and prostatic hyperplasia, commonly called hypertrophy, was seen thrice. The mammalian prostatic area is known to become overfilled with secretion and to be affected by inflammation when it is not discharged. This occurred in a wood rat (_Neotoma pennsylvanica_) and a wild boar (_Sus scrofa_), the former having the condition so marked that prostate and seminal vesicles were swollen backward into the pelvis like a tumor. Histologically one finds in these conditions an engorgement of the glandular and ductal spaces with a mucoid substance and a mild round and plasma cell infiltrate in the connective tissue; there are no marked evidences of active inflammation. The testes were not abnormal in these cases.

The three cases of “hypertrophy” of the prostate are worthy of separate record.

Indian Paradoxure (_Paradoxurus niger_) the prostate is greatly
enlarged, of pale orange color, soft and does not exude pus on section
or pressure.

Common Opossum (_Didelphys virginiana_) The prostate is enlarged,
soft, gray-yellow. Urethra contains a little gray mucus but seems
patulous. Seminal vesicles negative.

Rhesus Macaque (_Macacus rhesus_). Glandular hyperplasia of prostate.
The bladder is collapsed. The opening of the urethra is occupied by a
firm, friable yellow-white cast of matter apparently inspissated
semen. Urethral mucous membrane normal. Prostate is 7 × 4.5 × 3 cm.
firm, resilient, dull purple-gray, capsule negative. Section shows
normal lobulations containing apparently normal secretion. Vasa
negative. Testes negative. Microscopic section of prostate shows acini
of various sizes lined by a single layer of tall vacuolated cells with
nucleus at the bottom. Cells probably nowhere reduplicated. Acini
nowhere grossly atypical but everywhere hyperplastic and dilated
irregularly. Mass is adenomatous in general increase but no part is
truly neoplastic. Interstitial tissue rather less than normal
proportionately. No “amyloid” bodies.

FIG. 30.—PAPILLARY ADENOMATOUS HYPERPLASIA OF THE PROSTATE GLAND. RING
TAILED LEMUR (LEMUR CATTA).
]

Still another case of accessory sex gland enlargement was found in a Ring tailed Lemur (_Lemur catta_), this time, however, with more suggestion of a neoplastic change. The prostate of the lemur is normally large, pale gray-pink and rather firm. Histologically it is about equally glandular and fibrous. In this case the cellular activity is undoubted, and one must consider it adenomatous. The cause of death was enteritis, being perhaps more serious in the presence of the urethral obstruction.

The seminal vesicles are distended to 7 × 2 cm. with a thick boiled-
starch-like material. Wall and mucosa are negative. Prostate large,
tense and injected. Its cut surface is pale purple, homogeneous;
character of fluid is normal although excessive. Urethra is occupied
by a cast of rather tenacious starch-like matter which begins at neck
of bladder and runs almost to meatus. Openings of excretory ducts are
prominent. Mucosa and submucosa of urethra are deep purple and the
former seems to be slightly opaque as if covered with desquamated
epithelium. Testes and epididymes seem normal. Vasa deferentia are
slightly distended with excess of normally turbid fluid. Microscopical
section shows hyperplastic epithelial condition with accumulation of
droplets of hyaline matter but there is no amyloid deposit. In places
it is possible to see a hyperplastic and loosened epithelium with
nuclei becoming vacuolated, and the whole being cast off. Less
granular free globules suggest that this is the method of origin of
the hyaline globules free in the acini. The picture is one of
papillary adenoma. In some places there is surely reduplication of the
lining cells. Connective tissue is deeply staining, compact and with
adult nuclei. Growth is not very vascular. There are no corpora
amylacea.

A case of tuberculous prostatitis and seminal vesiculitis was seen in a Japanese Macaque (_Macacus fuscatus_). Judging by the advanced stage of these lesions and their more recent character in other viscera, the disease was suspected as pelvic in origin, possibly due to infection by a thermometer. Whether or not such be the case cannot be established, but at all events, separate thermometers kept in carbolated vaseline were employed after this death. The females caged with this animal did not develop tuberculosis of the pelvic organs.