title: Reproductive outcome of men with azoospermia due to cryptorchidism using assisted techniques.
abstract: The aetiology of cryptorchidism is still undiscernible in the majority of cases. It has long been argued that cryptorchidism reflects a primary testicular maldevelopment, where the contralateral scrotal testis also suffers from aspermatogenesis and low spermatogonia count. The aim of the study was to determine the reproductive outcome of ex-cryptorchid men with azoospermia post-orchidopexy after testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI). In a retrospective analysis, we compared the sperm retrieval, fertilization, pregnancy and live birth rates after ICSI of consecutive ex-cryptorchid azoospermic patients (n = 15) undergoing TESE between Jan 2000 and Dec 2007 vs. non-cryptorchid azoospermic men (n = 142). Sperm retrieval rate of ex-cryptorchid men by TESE (66%) was comparable with non-cryptorchid men (47%) (p = 0.15) despite significantly higher FSH levels (30.7 +/- 25.4 vs. 17.9 +/- 14.8 respectively) (p = 0.018) and a more prevalent histopathology diagnosis of aspermatogenesis (75% vs. 40%, p = 0.046). Fertilization (43.3%), pregnancy (30%) and live birth (20%) rates after TESE-IVF-ICSI in the ex-cryptorchid group were not different from the non-cryptorchid group (48.7, 43 and 29%, p = 0.26, p = 0.21, p = 0.29 respectively). We conclude that the reproductive outcome of ex-cryptorchid men with azoospermia post-orchidopexy employing TESE-IVF-ICSI is comparable with non-cryptorchid azoospermic men.
authors.affiliation: In Vitro Fertilization Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel. kochman@hadassah.org.il
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haimov-Kochman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prus
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farchat
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bdolah
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hurwitz
mesh_terms: D053713:Azoospermia / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D050498:Live Birth; D008297:Male; D056126:Orchiopexy; D011247:Pregnancy; D053625:Sperm Retrieval; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone