The spermatic cord, in the part of its course outside the inguinal canal, is liable to varicose dilatation of its veins constituting Varicocele (see under Affections of Veins). There is also an occasional occurrence of haemorrhage into the cord constituting a haematoma.

Tuberculosis is a somewhat frequent disease in the cord and vesicub-seminales by propagation from the testicle. The disease may be unilateral and in the vesiculae seminales may lead to a very marked one-sided enlargement. There are the usual phenomena of thickening by new-formation of granulation tissue and tubercles and caseous necrosis. There may be in the vesicular considerable ulceration with discharge of the products into the urethra. The tuberculosis may further extend to prostate, bladder, ureter, and kidney.

Concretions are sometimes found in the vesiculse seminales like those in the prostate.

Literature

Penis; Gummata - Ozanne, Rev. delaChir., 1883. Tuberculosis - Lehmann, Deutsch. med. Woch., 1886, Nos. 9-13; Loewenstein, Die Impftuber-culose des Prseput., 1889; Kraske, Ziegler's Beitrage, x., 1891, p. 204.