Andrology
Encyclopedia
Andrology is the medical specialty
that deals with male health, particularly relating to the problems of the male reproductive system
and urological
problems that are unique to men. It is the counterpart to gynaecology
, which deals with medical issues which are specific to the female reproductive system. Andrology has only been studied as a distinct specialty since the late 1960s: the first specialist journal on the subject was the German periodical Andrologie (now called Andrologia), published from 1969 onwards.
Male-specific medical and surgical procedures
include vasectomy
and vasovasostomy
(one of the vasectomy reversal procedures) as well as intervention to deal with male genitourinary disorders such as:
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
that deals with male health, particularly relating to the problems of the male reproductive system
Reproductive system
The reproductive system or genital system is a system of organs within an organism which work together for the purpose of reproduction. Many non-living substances such as fluids, hormones, and pheromones are also important accessories to the reproductive system. Unlike most organ systems, the sexes...
and urological
Urology
Urology is the medical and surgical specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males. Medical professionals specializing in the field of urology are called urologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with urological...
problems that are unique to men. It is the counterpart to gynaecology
Gynaecology
Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...
, which deals with medical issues which are specific to the female reproductive system. Andrology has only been studied as a distinct specialty since the late 1960s: the first specialist journal on the subject was the German periodical Andrologie (now called Andrologia), published from 1969 onwards.
Male-specific medical and surgical procedures
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
include vasectomy
Vasectomy
Vasectomy is a surgical procedure for male sterilization and/or permanent birth control. During the procedure, the vasa deferentia of a man are severed, and then tied/sealed in a manner such to prevent sperm from entering into the seminal stream...
and vasovasostomy
Vasovasostomy
Vasovasostomy is a surgery by which vasectomies are partially reversed. Another surgery for vasectomy reversal is vasoepididymostomy.-Limitations:...
(one of the vasectomy reversal procedures) as well as intervention to deal with male genitourinary disorders such as:
- balanitisBalanitisBalanitis is inflammation of the glans penis . When the foreskin is also affected, it is termed balanoposthitis....
- carcinoma of the penisCarcinoma of the penisPenile cancer is a malignant growth found on the skin or in the tissues of the penis. A Squamous cell carcinoma usually originating in the glans or foreskin is by far the most common type, occurring in 9 out of 10 cases. Penis cancer tends to develop in men over the age of sixty. Penile cancer is...
- cryptorchidismCryptorchidismCryptorchidism is the absence of one or both testes from the scrotum. It is the most common birth defect regarding male genitalia. In unique cases, cryptorchidism can develop later in life, often as late as young adulthood. About 3% of full-term and 30% of premature infant boys are born with at...
- epididymitisEpididymitisEpididymitis is a medical condition in which there is inflammation of the epididymis . This condition comprises gradual onset of testicular pain that can vary from mild to severe, and the scrotum may become red, warm and swollen...
- epispadiasEpispadiasAn epispadias is a rare type of malformation of the penis in which the urethra ends in an opening on the upper aspect of the penis. It can also develop in females when the urethra develops too far anteriorly...
- erectile dysfunctionErectile dysfunctionErectile dysfunction is sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual performance....
- frenulum breveFrenulum breveFrenulum breve, or a short frenulum, is a condition in which the frenulum preputii penis, which is an elastic band of tissue under the glans penis that connects to the prepuce and helps contract the prepuce over the glans, is short and restricts the movement of the prepuce...
- hydroceleHydroceleA hydrocoele denotes a pathological accumulation of serous fluid in a body cavity. It can also be noted as a minor malformation of newborns due to high levels of lead in the mother's blood during pregnancy....
- hypospadiasHypospadiasHypospadias is a birth defect of the urethra in the male that involves an abnormally placed urinary meatus...
- infertilityInfertilityInfertility primarily refers to the biological inability of a person to contribute to conception. Infertility may also refer to the state of a woman who is unable to carry a pregnancy to full term...
- micropenisMicropenisMicropenis is an unusually small penis. A common criterion is a dorsal erect penile length of at least 2.5 standard deviations smaller than the mean human penis size. The condition is usually recognized shortly after birth...
- orchitisOrchitisOrchitis or orchiditis is a condition of the testes involving inflammation. It can also involve swelling and frequent infection.-Symptoms:Symptoms of orchitis are similar to those of testicular torsion...
- paraphimosisParaphimosisParaphimosis is an uncommon medical condition where the foreskin becomes trapped behind the glans penis, and cannot be reduced...
- penile fracturePenile fractureA penile fracture is an injury caused by the rupture of the tunica albuginea, which envelops the corpus cavernosum penis. It is most often caused by a blunt trauma to an erect penis.-Presentation:...
- Peyronie's diseasePeyronie's diseasePeyronie's Disease Peyronie's Disease Peyronie's Disease (also known as "Induratio penis plastica", or more recently Chronic Inflammation of the Tunica Albuginea (CITA), is a connective tissue disorder involving the growth of fibrous plaques in the soft tissue of the penis affecting up to 10% of men...
- phimosisPhimosisPhimosis , from the Greek phimos ), is a condition where, in men, the foreskin cannot be fully retracted over the glans penis...
- prostate cancerProstate cancerProstate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
- prostatitisProstatitisProstatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland, in men. A prostatitis diagnosis is assigned at 8% of all urologist and 1% of all primary care physician visits in the United States.-Classification:...
- spermatoceleSpermatoceleSpermatocele is a retention cyst of a tubule of the rete testis or the head of the epididymis distended with barely watery fluid that contains spermatozoa. Spermatoceles are the most common cystic condition encountered within the scrotum. They vary in size from several millimeters to many...
- testicular cancerTesticular cancerTesticular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.In the United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. In the UK, approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of...
- testicular torsionTesticular torsionTesticular torsion is when the spermatic cord to a testicle twists, cutting off the blood supply. The most common symptom is acute testicular pain and the most common underlying cause is a congenital malformation known as a "bell-clapper deformity". The diagnosis is often made clinically but if it...
- varicoceleVaricoceleVaricocele , also known as varicoscele or varicose seal, is an abnormal enlargement of the vein that is in the scrotum draining the testicles. The testicular blood vessels originate in the abdomen and course down through the inguinal canal as part of the spermatic cord on their way to the testis...