Probability of sperm recovery in non-obstructive azoospermic patients presenting with testes volume less than 10 ml/FSH level exceeding 20 mIU/ml.
We evaluated the sperm recovery rate in non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients presenting with bilateral testicular atrophy characterized by testes volume of less than 10ml and FSH levels exceeding 20 mIU/ml (group NOA-1), and compared the results to those NOA cases displaying unilateral testis volume exceeding 10 ml or FSH levels less than 20 mIU/ml (group NOA-2). Sperm retrieval was conducted in 261 azoospermic patients from April 1995 to December 2002. Forty-six NOA-1 and 37 NOA-2 individuals underwent microdissection TESE or 3-4 standard biopsies. Sperm recovery was achieved in 11 (24%) and 12 (32%) cases in NOA-1 and NOA-2, respectively. All couples received ICSI. Four clinical pregnancies (36.3%) in NOA-1 and two (17%) in NOA-2 resulted. Five subsequent healthy deliveries were obtained. NOA patients presenting with bilateral severe atrophic testes volume and obviously elevated FSH levels exhibited approximately 24% probability of sperm recovery. On the other hand, NOA characterized by testicular atrophy or elevated FSH levels displayed probability of approximately 32%. Differences in sperm recovery were not evident between NOA-1 and NOA-2. No successful pre-operative predictors of sperm recovery were identified.
Hibi
H
H
Department of Urology, Kyoritsu General Hospital, Nagoya, Japan. hibih@quartz.ocn.ne.jp
Ohori
T
T
Yamada
Y
Y
Honda
N
N
Asada
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting
D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone