title: Role of transrectal ultrasonography in evaluating the cause of azoospermia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the role of transrectal ultrasonography in the investigation of azoospermia, a significant cause of infertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a 2-year period, 35 patients with azoospermia underwent an infertility workup, which included transrectal ultrasonography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sonograms of 10 of the 35 patients were normal; 8 patients had enlarged seminal vesicles containing cysts, 6 had ejaculatory duct dilation, 5 had seminal vesicle calcification, 3 had seminal vesicle atrophy-hypoplasia and 3 patients had midline prostatic cysts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transrectal sonography is a useful modality to evaluate seminal duct abnormalities, some of which may cause azoospermia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif., USA. nyassa@goodsam.org
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Yassa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keesara
mesh_terms: D001284:Atrophy; D002114:Calcinosis; D003560:Cysts / Q000150:complications; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D004543:Ejaculatory Ducts / Q000473:pathology; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D011469:Prostatic Diseases; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography