title: Clinical characteristics and reproductive outcomes in infertile men with testicular early and late maturation arrest.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the clinical characteristics and reproductive outcomes of nonobstructive azoospermic men with uniform early and late maturation arrest.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with biopsy-documented uniform maturation arrest undergoing testicular sperm retrieval and complete medical records were enrolled in the present study. Their medical history, physical examination findings, testicular volume, serum hormone parameters, genetic anomalies, sperm retrieval, and reproductive outcomes were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a cohort of 223 nonobstructive azoospermic men, 34 men with uniform maturation arrest (21 early maturation arrest and 13 late maturation arrest) were identified. No significant differences were seen in the age distribution, testicular volume, or hormone parameters between patients with early and late maturation arrest. Only 13 patients (38.2%) had a normal serum follicle-stimulating hormone level and normal testicular volume. Patients with early maturation arrest had a greater frequency of overall genetic anomalies, and patients with late maturation arrest had a greater frequency of previous testicular insults. The sperm retrieval and impregnation rate were nonsignificantly greater in patients with late maturation arrest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maturation arrest has a variety of causes and presents with diverse phenotypes. Not all patients with uniform maturation arrest have a normal follicle-stimulating hormone level or testicular volume. Patients with early maturation arrest have a greater incidence of genetic anomalies and are more likely to have worse reproductive outcomes than are patients with late maturation arrest.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Chun
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Yu-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Tsung-Yen
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wen-Horng
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yung-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D059785:Karyotype; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000235:genetics; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D053625:Sperm Retrieval; D013737:Testis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone