Three cases with different types of short-tailed spermatozoa.
Short-tailed spermatozoa were found in 3 men attending our subfertility clinic. Light microscopy revealed basically normal sperm heads, but a short tail was found in 90% or more of the spermatozoa. Scanning and transmission electron-microscopic examinations of the ejaculate revealed several types of short-tailed spermatozoa. In one case, the majority of the spermatozoa had a short, thick tail. In another case, all the spermatozoa were short-tailed, although two different types could be distinguished. As in the first case some spermatozoa were short- and thick-tailed, whereas others possessed an incomplete neck and middle piece, and a short, thick principal piece. In the third case, an elongated middle piece and short principal piece were found in almost all the short-tailed spermatozoa. Our electron-microscopic study revealed that the type of short-tailed spermatozoa was different in each patient.
Ohmori
K
K
Department of Urology, Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine, Japan.
Matsuda
T
T
Horii
Y
Y
Yoshida
O
O
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D013082:Sperm Tail / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure