title: Role of fine needle aspirate mapping and touch imprint preparations in the evaluation of azoospermia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the utility of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and touch imprint cytology (TIC) in the evaluation of azoospermia.
  
  
  METHODS
  FNAC, TIC and open testicular biopsy (OTB) were used to evaluate 31 azoospermic men.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OTB revealed normal spermatogenesis (10), spermatogenic arrest (12), Sertoli cell only syndrome (SCO) (7) and unsatisfactory cases (2). Cytologic examinations (TIC vs. FNAC) revealed normal spermatogenesis (11 vs. 9), spermatogenic arrest (13 vs. 7), SCO (2 vs. 1) and unsatisfactory cases (5 vs. 5). Sensitivity and specificity of TIC and FNAC were 98% vs. 83% and 100% vs. 93%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Testicular FNAC is a reliable and simple method for the evaluation of azoospermia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Assuit University, Assuit, Egypt. mrh17@swissinfo.org
authors.forename: Mahmoud R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.forename: Mohammad M A
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bedaiwy
authors.forename: Alae
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ezat
authors.forename: Abdul Fatah
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Ibraheem
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nayel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D016591:Histocytological Preparation Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000473:pathology*