The epididymis is located in the scrotum also as a crescent shaped organ, fused together with the superior and posterior parts of the testis. The epididymis is approx. 6 cm long, one can describe three parts of it: the head (caput, globus major) – this thicker portion is fused with the upper pole of the testis; its continuation along the posterior margin of the testis is the thinner body (corpus epididymidis); finally the thinnest part, the tail (cauda epididymidis, globus minor) is located at the lower pole of the testis, where it is continuous with the ductus (vas) deferens.
Histologically only two characteristic components of the epididymis can be distinguished: in the head of the epididymis 10-20 ductuli efferentes testis and also ductus epididymidis can be found, while in the rest of the epididymis only the latter is present.
The fixation of the epididymis occurs with the superior ligament of epididymis (the head of the epididymis is connected to the upper pole of the testis) and with the inferior ligament of epididymis (found at the tail of the epididymis). The tunica vaginalis testis covers the head of epididymis also. The epididymis is fused with the testis only on the medial side; laterally a deep notch can be examined between the two organs, the peritoneum-lined sinus epididymidis (or testicular bursa).
The reflexion of periorchium into epiorchium is called mesorchium and is found on the testis medially from the epididymis. The significance of this duplicature is that it contains the vessels supplying the testis and epididymis. The epididymis gets its nutrition from the same vessels as discussed at the blood supply of testis.
Utolsó módosítás: 2014. February 12., Wednesday, 10:27
