title: Finasteride-associated male infertility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a male patient with finasteride-associated infertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case report.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary-care clinic for male infertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  A patient with azoospermia who had been taking finasteride (1-mg dose) for 1 year for androgenic alopecia. He had been diagnosed with oligospermia 5 years before.
  
  
  METHODS
  Discontinuation of finasteride.
  
  
  METHODS
  Improvement of semen parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After cessation of finasteride, the patient's semen volume increased immediately, and sperm concentration was up to more than 10 × 10(6)/mL 16 weeks after stopping finasteride. He is now trying to achieve pregnancy by intrauterine insemination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cessation of finasteride improved spermatogenesis and allowed the couple to attempt less-invasive fertility therapy. In this case, the patient had impaired spermatogenesis before he started the drug. In such patients, the drug may further decrease spermatogenesis. We suggest that drug cessation could be taken into consideration for infertile male patients with impaired semen parameters who are taking finasteride at a 1-mg dose.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Department of Surgery Related, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Fuping
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
mesh_terms: D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000505:Alopecia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D018120:Finasteride / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D028761:Withholding Treatment
chemical_list: D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D018120:Finasteride