Pathology of Intratesticular Veins of Uncertain Significance

While the arterial wall is clearly structured in layers, intima, media, and adventitia, separated by rings of fenestrated elastic lamellae, the vein wall presents a medial and adventitial layer in continuity due to the absence of an external elastic lamella. The variable abundance and orientation of smooth muscle cells in the vein wall vary with the type of vein. The lesions discussed in this chapter represent examples that go beyond the limits of what might be considered normal in the veins of the different areas of the human body: phlebosclerosis of intratesticular veins; hypertrophic fibrosis of the adventitia and adventitial smooth hyperplasia of intratesticular veins. The aetiology is unknown. The only common feature of the three conditions is that they are not related to inflammatory processes of either the testis or the paratesticular structures.