Inmate Central

Posted by neolith (A) on March 19, 2017 at 18:46:30

In Reply to: RE: Mysteries of the ancients, why your left ball hangs lower posted by bullethead on March 19, 2017 at 11:56:55

One explanation: The embryonic testes arise from the kidneys and the blood supply is from the testicular arteries. The right testicular artery arises from the right renal artery while the left testicular artery arises directly from the aorta inferior to the left renal artery. That slight difference allows the left testis to descend lower. Of course, with this explanation, one would think that the "left lower" dominance would be more than just 65%.
One of my "highlights" in medical school came when a professor suddenly turned to me and asked "This guy has a sinusitis and his right testis lower than than left - What is the diagnosis". Without batting an eye, I said "Kartagener's sydrome" (more properly immotile cilia syndrome or primary cilia dyskinesia). The failure of the cilia to function correctly causes problems with movement of mucous in the respiratory tract (sinusitis, bronchitis) and situs inversus - hence the lower right testis. The professor was totally shocked that I knew that (actually so was I) as he really thought he had a "stumper". In 40 years, I never saw a patient with Kartagener's.



I married the perfect woman. The downside is everything that goes wrong is my fault.