Intracytoplasmic injection with late spermatids: a successful procedure in achieving childbirth for couples in which the male partner suffers from azoospermia due to deficient spermatogenesis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the feasibility of using late spermatids in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for patients in which there is a total lack of normal and testicular sperm.


METHODS
Clinical study.


METHODS
Private fertility center with adjacent laboratory facilities.


METHODS
Thirty-six males diagnosed with azoospermia underwent testicular biopsy and the resulting spermatids from nine patients were used to fertilize oocytes retrieved from their respective wives by ICSI.


METHODS
Intracytoplasmic spermatid injection of oocytes with late spermatids obtained by testicular biopsy.


METHODS
Fertilization, pregnancy, and delivery rates.


RESULTS
Three of the cases resulted in pregnancies with childbirth occurring in all three, identical twins in one, and individual singletons in the other two cases.


CONCLUSIONS
It is possible to achieve successful levels of pregnancy and childbirth in cases of azoospermia by intracytoplasmic injection of late spermatids.
Araki
Y
Y
Institute of Advanced Medical Technology Central Clinic, Tochigi-ken, Japan.
Motoyama
M
M
Yoshida
A
A
Kim
S Y
SY
Sung
H
H
Araki
S
S
D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D009845:Oligospermia; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D013087:Spermatids; D013091:Spermatogenesis