Age as a limiting factor for successful sperm retrieval in patients with nonmosaic Klinefelter's syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To determine factors affecting successful sperm retrieval by testicular sperm extraction in patients with nonmosaic Klinefelter's syndrome.


METHODS
Medical record analysis for nonmosaic Klinefelter's syndrome patients who underwent testicular sperm extraction.


METHODS
Three university-based tertiary centers.


METHODS
Fifty-one patients with nonobstructive azoospermia related to nonmosaic Klinefelter's syndrome.


METHODS
Testicular sperm extraction.


METHODS
Correlation of patient characteristics; serum concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone (T); as well as testicular volume with success in testicular sperm extraction.


RESULTS
We succeeded in obtaining spermatozoa in 26 patients and failed in 25. Levels of LH, FSH, and T and testicular volume did not differ between patient groups defined by success and failure. Median ages for successful and failed testicular sperm extraction were 31 and 38 years, respectively (statistically significant difference). When we analyzed success rates of testicular sperm extraction between two patient groups (<35 and > or =35 years old), the percentage of successful recovery of spermatozoa decreased after the age of 35 years (statistically significant difference).


CONCLUSIONS
Testicular sperm extraction should be recommended before the critical age of 35 years.
Okada
Hiroshi
H
Department of Urology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. okada@med.teikyo-u.ac.jp
Goda
Kazumasa
K
Yamamoto
Yasuhisa
Y
Sofikitis
Nikolaos
N
Miyagawa
Ikuo
I
Mio
Yasuyuki
Y
Koshida
Mitsunobu
M
Horie
Shigeo
S
D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007713:Klinefelter Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D042282:Microdissection / Q000379:methods; D009030:Mosaicism; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010331:Paternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology