Evaluation and treatment of familial globozoospermia in five brothers.
OBJECTIVE
To document the pathology of five siblings with complete globozoospermia and to report the effectiveness of repeated intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment as therapy.


METHODS
Case report.


METHODS
A tertiary center for assisted reproduction.


METHODS
Five siblings with globozoospermia.


METHODS
Twenty cycles of repeated ICSI treatment. Detailed light and electron microscopy studies were performed on three of the globozoospermic brothers.


METHODS
Clinical pregnancy and live birth after ICSI treatment.


RESULTS
Light and electron microscopy showed that all spermatozoa had round heads and no acrosome. Of 129 metaphase-II oocytes injected, 49 fertilized normally, giving an overall fertilization rate of 38% (range, 0-100%). No pregnancies resulted from 13 cycles in brothers 1-3. Brothers 4 and 5 had three pregnancies after seven ICSI cycles, with one live birth and two first-trimester losses.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite variable fertilization rates, pregnancies and a live birth can be achieved after repeated ICSI treatment cycles in globozoospermic siblings. No apparent pattern was manifest that reflected the true pathology or determined the outcome of ICSI treatment.
Kilani
Zaid
Z
Farah Hospital, Amman, Jordan.
Ismail
Radwan
R
Ghunaim
Samer
S
Mohamed
Hossam
H
Hughes
David
D
Brewis
Ian
I
Barratt
Christopher L R
CL
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous; D020101:Acrosome Reaction; D000328:Adult; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D035781:Siblings; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000648:ultrastructure*