Pathology of testis and epididymis in native goats in southern Iran

A slaughterhouse-based survey was conducted to determine the type and the prevalence of lesions in the testis and epididymis of native bucks reared in southern Iran. Testis, epididymis, and tunica, which belonged to 425 bucks of various age groups, were inspected. The specimens were collected randomly during a 6-month period. Various abnormalities in testis and the epididymis were observed. Grossly, testicular mineralization was the most prevalent abnormality (n = 183, 45%) followed by degeneration or hypoplasia (n = 26, 6.4%), adhesion (n = 20, 4.9%), cryptorchidism (n = 12, 2.9%), congenital testicular cyst (n = 9, 2.2%), abscess (n = 4, 0.9%), and orchitis (n = 1, 0.2%). As the age of the bucks increased, the percentages of mineralization increased significantly (p < 0.05). Based on the results of the gross examination, congenital epididymal cysts were the most prevalent abnormality (n = 57, 14.4%) then followed by epididymal abscess (n = 12, 2.9%), melanosis (n = 10, 2.5%), and epididymitis (n = 3, 0.7%). Congenital epididymal cysts, 1 to 2 mm in diameter, were mostly located on the head of the epididymis. On histopathological examination, mineralization showed the highest prevalence rate in testis followed by hypoplasia and degeneration, besnoitiosis, orchitis, and edema. Besnoitiosis was also the predominant lesion in the head and tail of the epididymis followed by epididymitis, hypoplasia or degeneration, melanosis, and sperm granuloma. Besnoitia cysts were found in 11.3% of the testes, 14.1% of the epididymal heads, and 7.5% of the epididymal tails.