TESTICULAR LESIONS OF PROSTATIC CARCINOMA INDUCED BY HONVAN (STILBESTROL DIPHOSPHATE) ADMINISTRATION

Abstract

A histological study of the testes surgically obtained from 50 cases with prostatic carcinoma was performed. 29 cases received 500 to 27, 500mg of Honvan and in 4 cases of them hemicastrations were performed before and after the Honvan treatment in order to compare the histological findings. The remaining 21 cases were control cases.
The following lesions of the testes were observed after the Honvan treatment; 1) atrophy of the Leydig cells and dissociation of the islands, 2) fibrillar thickening and hyalinization of the tubular wall with atrophy of the seminiferous tubules, 3) decreased spermiogenesis associated with degeneration of the germinal epithelium, 5) atrophy of the Sertoli cells, and 6) an increace in number of the fibroblast-like cells and in quantity of amorphous substance in the interstitium.
It was considered that these findings were essentially the same kind of senile degeneration, but intensively accelerated with the estrogenic effect on the tissue directly or indirectly.
The severity of the lesions seemingly had relationships with the total dosage and the period of the Honvan administration. Obvious changes were observed in cases given more than 1, 000mg of Honvan and more remarkable changes in cases more than 2, 750mg. Even more than 7, 000mg of Honvan, however, did not induce the testicular lesions beyond the level of less than 5, 000mg.
Relatively more remarkable changes were observed in the cases treated for a period of over 20 days.
The three cases with 2, 750 to 4, 750mg of Honvan for 29 to 40 days presented the most severe lesions.
Since the amount, as well as the period, of the Honvan administration had a relationship to the severity of testicular lesion, it was assumed that an adequate estrogenic treatment would induce a so-called chemical castration histologically.