Vesiculoscopy for diagnosing and managing seminal vesicle disorders
https://doi.org/10.21886/2308-6424-2026-14-2-147-158
Abstract
Seminal vesicles play an important role within the male reproductive system, yet their pathology remains an under‑recognised cause of chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS), frequently misattributed to chronic prostatitis. Vesiculoscopy is a minimally invasive endoscopic technique that permits direct visualisation and targeted treatment of disorders affecting the seminal vesicles and ejaculatory ducts. The lecture outlines the anatomy and physiology of the seminal vesicles, the principal indications for vesiculoscopy (including persistent haematospermia, ejaculatory duct obstruction, chronic seminal vesiculitis and seminal vesicle calculi), and provides a step‑by‑step description of the operative technique. Emphasis is placed on the diagnosis of CPPS related to seminal vesicle pathology, encompassing both inflammatory and obstructive changes. Two clinical cases are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of vesiculoscopy in patients with refractory pain and seminal vesicle calculi. This modality offers high diagnostic yield in the absence of reliable non‑invasive imaging alternatives but necessitates careful patient selection and meticulous adherence to technical details to minimise complications. Vesiculoscopy thereby broadens the therapeutic armamentarium of urologists in the management of complex CPPS, and reproductive disorders associated with seminal vesicle disease.
Keywords
About the Authors
N. K. GadzhievRussian Federation
Nariman K. Gadzhiev — Dr.Sc.(Med.)
St. Petersburg
Competing Interests:
Nariman K. Gadzhiev, author of this article, are member of the Editorial Board of Urology Herald. The manuscript underwent the journal’s standard external peer‑review process by independent experts. The authors declare no other conflicts of interest
D. S. Gorelov
Russian Federation
Dmitry S. Gorelov
St. Petersburg
Competing Interests:
Nariman K. Gadzhiev, author of this article, are member of the Editorial Board of Urology Herald. The manuscript underwent the journal’s standard external peer‑review process by independent experts. The authors declare no other conflicts of interest
R. G. Khamedov
Russian Federation
Rafi Gyulakhmed oglu Khamedov
St. Petersburg
Competing Interests:
Nariman K. Gadzhiev, author of this article, are member of the Editorial Board of Urology Herald. The manuscript underwent the journal’s standard external peer‑review process by independent experts. The authors declare no other conflicts of interest
I. V. Semenyakin
Russian Federation
Igor V. Semenyakin — Dr.Sc.(Med)
Moscow
Competing Interests:
Nariman K. Gadzhiev, author of this article, are member of the Editorial Board of Urology Herald. The manuscript underwent the journal’s standard external peer‑review process by independent experts. The authors declare no other conflicts of interest
V. A. Zastavsky
Russian Federation
Vladimir A. Zastavsky
St. Petersburg
Competing Interests:
Nariman K. Gadzhiev, author of this article, are member of the Editorial Board of Urology Herald. The manuscript underwent the journal’s standard external peer‑review process by independent experts. The authors declare no other conflicts of interest
References
1. Li ZY, Xu Y, Liu C, Xiao ZM, Luo BH, Xu GW, Wu KC, Zhong SZ, Ouyang J. Anatomical study of the seminal vesicle system for transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy. Clin Anat. 2019;32(2):244-252. DOI: 10.1002/ca.23293
2. Lee JS, Yeo IS, Lee HI, Park JA, Koh KS, Song WC. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the luminal structure of human seminal vesicle. J Anat. 2020;237(6):1006-1014. DOI: 10.1111/joa.13269
3. Pontari MA. Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Urol Clin North Am. 2008;35(1):81-89; vi. DOI: 10.1016/j.ucl.2007.09.005
4. Jonsson M, Lundwall A, Malm J. The semenogelins: proteins with functions beyond reproduction? Cell Mol Life Sci. 2006;63(24):2886-2888. DOI: 10.1007/s00018-006-6287-0
5. Yoshida K, Kawano N, Yoshiike M, Yoshida M, Iwamoto T, Morisawa M. Physiological roles of semenogelin I and zinc in sperm motility and semen coagulation on ejaculation in humans. Mol Hum Reprod. 2008;14(3):151-156. DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gan003
6. Chen WK, Yu DD, Chen ZX, Li PF, Cai J, Liu YP, Wu ZG. Transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy for intractable hematospermia: experience from 144 patients. BMC Urol. 2021;21(1):48. DOI: 10.1186/s12894-021-00817-4
7. Bergman J, Zeitlin SI. Prostatitis and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Expert Rev Neurother. 2007;7(3):301-307. DOI: 10.1586/14737175.7.3.301
8. Song T, Zhang X, Zhang L, Zhang F, Fu WJ. Transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of seminal vesicle stones. Chin Med J (Engl). 2012;125(8):1475-1478. PMID: 22613656
9. Wang H, Ye H, Xu C, Liu Z, Gao X, Hou J, Wang L, Piao S, Sun Y. Transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy using a 6F vesiculoscope for ejaculatory duct obstruction: initial experience. J Androl. 2012;33(4):637-643. DOI: 10.2164/jandrol.111.013912
10. Kranz J, Bartoletti R, Bruyère F, Cai T, Geerlings S, Köves B, Schubert S, Pilatz A, Veeratterapillay R, Wagenlehner FME, Bausch K, Devlies W, Horváth J, Leitner L, Mantica G, Mezei T, Smith EJ, Bonkat G. European Association of Urology Guidelines on Urological Infections: Summary of the 2024 Guidelines. Eur Urol. 2024;86(1):27-41. DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2024.03.035
11. McKay AC, Odeluga N, Jiang J, Sharma S. Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Seminal Vesicle. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026. PMID: 29763029
12. Josef Marx F, Karenberg A. History of the term prostate. Prostate. 2009;69(2):208-213. DOI: 10.1002/pros.20871
13. Wein AJ, Kavoussi LR, Partin AW, Peters CA. Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology. 12th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2020. Chapter 42.
14. Aumüller G, Riva A. Morphology and functions of the human seminal vesicle. Andrologia. 1992;24(4):183-196. DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0272.1992.tb02636.x
15. Tzelves L, Protogerou V, Varkarakis I. Denonvilliers’ Fascia: The Prostate Border to the Outside World. Cancers (Basel). 2022;14(3):688. DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030688
16. Chen R, Wang L, Sheng X, Piao SG, Nian XW, Cheng X, Zhou T, Li HZ, Liu YW, Chen GH, Zhang CL, Kong DP, Xiao GA, Lu X, Jia ZY, Liu ZY, Sun YH. Transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy for recurrent hemospermia: experience from 419 cases. Asian J Androl. 2018;20(5):438-441. DOI: 10.4103/aja.aja_76_17
17. Liu ZY, Sun YH, Xu CL, Hou JG, Gao X, Lu X, Ye HM, Wang LH, Gao XF. Transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of persistent or recurrent hemospermia: a single-institution experience. Asian J Androl. 2009;11(5):566-570. DOI: 10.1038/aja.2009.47
18. Lira FT Neto, Bach PV, Miranda EP, Calisto SLDS, Silva GMTD, Antunes DL, Li PS. Management of Ejaculatory Duct Obstruction by Seminal Vesiculoscopy: Case Report and Literature Review. JBRA Assist Reprod. 2020;24(3):382-386. DOI: 10.5935/1518-0557.20190075
19. Shabsigh R, Lerner S, Fishman IJ, Kadmon D. The role of transrectal ultrasonography in the diagnosis and management of prostatic and seminal vesicle cysts. J Urol. 1989;141(5):1206-1209. DOI: 10.1016/s0022-5347(17)41216-x
20. Han CH, Liang Q, Dong BZ, Hao L, Fan T, Zhang JJ, Zhang WD, Chen B, Qiu XZ, Zhou XJ, Pei CS. The transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of the seminal vesicle disease. Cell Biochem Biophys. 2013;66(3):851-853. DOI: 10.1007/s12013-013-9527-6
21. 1.Lee T-H, Juan Y-S, Jang M-Y, Wang H-S, Shen J-T. Successful seminal vesiculoscopic litho-tripsy of seminal vesicle stone: A case report and literature review. Urological Science. 2014;25(4):134-136. DOI: 10.1016/j.urols.2014.08.001
22. Reddy MN, Verma S. Lesions of the Seminal Vesicles and their MRI Characteristics. J Clin Imaging Sci. 2014;4:61. DOI: 10.4103/2156-7514.143734
Review
For citations:
Gadzhiev N.K., Gorelov D.S., Khamedov R.G., Semenyakin I.V., Zastavsky V.A. Vesiculoscopy for diagnosing and managing seminal vesicle disorders. Urology Herald. 2026;14(2):147-158. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21886/2308-6424-2026-14-2-147-158
JATS XML





































