title: [Prevalence of retrograde ejaculation in infertility associated to hypospermia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Approximately 14% of couples of reproductive age have a fertility problem, defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy after a year of frequent intercourse without contraceptive protection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of retrograde ejaculation in infertile patients with hypospermia and to establish the effects of the treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparative study. A semen analysis of 207 patients with male infertility with hypospermia was performed. The patients with retrograde ejaculation were identified and its prevalence was calculated. Semen parameters were compared before and after treatment by means of a paired-t test. Hormonal levels also were compared between groups with and without retrograde ejaculation by means of a Mann-Whitney U test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of retrograde ejaculation was 3.2% out of 2587 infertile patients. Within the group of 207 patients with hypospermia, 84 had retrograde ejaculation. After the treatment the seminal volume increased (from 1.2 to 1.5 milliliters) and the number of mobile cells increased (from 47.2 to 62.5 millions). The number of sperm in urine decreased (from 22 to 10 per high-power field). The patients with retrograde ejaculation had lower levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and testosterone than those without retrograde ejaculation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Retrograde ejaculation and hypospermia are both considered infrequent but important alterations in infertility. Prevalence of retrograde ejaculation in patients with hypospermia is 40.5%. Treatment increased seminal volume and the number of mobile cells in the ejaculated semen. It is necessary to perform future studies in order to determine the impact of severity of retrograde ejaculation on infertility.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia Isdiro Espinosa de los Reyes, México. ajuarezbengoa@yahoo.com.mx
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Juárez-Bengoa
authors.forename: Fiorella
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bagnarello-González
authors.forename: David Francisco
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Perdomo
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Yee
mesh_terms: D004542:Ejaculation; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D013076:Sperm Count; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014556:Urine / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone