Testicular microlithiasis and dyspermia: is there any correlation?
BACKGROUND
Testicular microlithiasis (MT) is an uncommon sonographic finding (prevalence in the literature: 0.7 to 6%). Several studies have highlighted its possible correlation with an increased risk of testicular cancer, but few studies have investigated its possible link with dyspermia.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to investigate in our series the number of patients with microlithiasis, diagnosed by ultrasound, and compare the quality of their sperm with that of patients in a control group with normal testicular ultrasound exam.


METHODS
We performed 277 consecutive testicular ultrasound examinations from January 2012 to July 2012. Among all these, we selected 86 patients that showed no pathological elements at echography and 11 patients affected by MT, to one or both testicles. Each patient was also submitted to a short-term semen analysis using the WHO2010 parameters for sperm evaluation.


RESULTS
Among 11 patients with MT, 7 (63.63%) were dyspermic and 4 (36.36%) were normospermic. Among the 86 patients with normal testicular ultrasound 51 (59.3%) were dyspermic, 4 (4.65%) were azoospermic, while the remaining 31 (36.05%) were normospermic. Comparing the results of the two groups we obtained an odds ratio of 0.99 (95% CI: 0.27 to 3.64, p: 0.98).


CONCLUSIONS
This study, although preliminary, with a low number of participants, shows that sperm quality is not affected by the presence of testicular microlithiasis, because the results of spermiograms are almost comparable between the two groups.
Polytechnic University of Marche, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Odontostomatologic and Specialized Clinical Sciences, Urology Clinic, Department of General and Specialized Surgery, University Hospital, Ancona. fracatanzariti@libero.it.
Francesco
F
Catanzariti
Ubaldo
U
Cantoro
Vito
V
Lacetera
Giovanni
G
Muzzonigro
Massimo
M
Polito
D053713:Azoospermia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002137:Calculi / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013737:Testis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography