Morphometrical study was performed in scrotal and retained testes of 10 unilateral cryptorchid horses, five abdominal and five inguinal. Thickness of the testicular albuginea, area of seminiferous tubules and number of Leydig cells were evaluated. Abdominal retained testes showed a reduction in the thickness of testicular albuginea in comparison to the contralateral scrotal testes (P<0.05). Significant reduction (P< 0.01) in the area of the seminiferous tubules was observed for the retained testes. These reductions were approximately 45% in the abdominal testes and 31% in the inguinal ones. No differences (P> 0.05) were observed in the Leydig cell count of the retained testes in comparison to the contralateral scrotal testes, justifying that testosterone production in the cryptorchid horses was similar to the normal stallion. The equine cryptorchidism affected with major intensity the area of seminiferous tubules of abdominal and inguinal testes and the thickness of testicular albuginea of the abdominal testes.
horse; cryptorchism; morphometry; testis
