Computer-aided sperm analysis: a useful tool to evaluate patient's response to varicocelectomy.
Preoperative and postoperative sperm parameter values from infertile men with varicocele were analyzed by computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) to assess if sperm characteristics improved after varicocelectomy. Semen samples of men with proven fertility (n = 38) and men with varicocele-related infertility (n = 61) were also analyzed. Conventional semen analysis was performed according to WHO (2010) criteria and a CASA system was employed to assess kinetic parameters and sperm concentration. Seminal parameters values in the fertile group were very far above from those of the patients, either before or after surgery. No significant improvement in the percentage normal sperm morphology (P = 0.10), sperm concentration (P = 0.52), total sperm count (P = 0.76), subjective motility (%) (P = 0.97) nor kinematics (P = 0.30) was observed after varicocelectomy when all groups were compared. Neither was significant improvement found in percentage normal sperm morphology (P = 0.91), sperm concentration (P = 0.10), total sperm count (P = 0.89) or percentage motility (P = 0.77) after varicocelectomy in paired comparisons of preoperative and postoperative data. Analysis of paired samples revealed that the total sperm count (P = 0.01) and most sperm kinetic parameters: curvilinear velocity (P = 0.002), straight-line velocity (P = 0.0004), average path velocity (P = 0.0005), linearity (P = 0.02), and wobble (P = 0.006) improved after surgery. CASA offers the potential for accurate quantitative assessment of each patient's response to varicocelectomy.
Clinical Biochemistry Department, Male Fertility Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemetry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Julia I
JI
Ariagno
Clinical Biochemistry Department, Male Fertility Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemetry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Gabriela R
GR
Mendeluk
Clinical Biochemistry Department, Male Fertility Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemetry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
María J
MJ
Furlan
Clinical Biochemistry Department, Male Fertility Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemetry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
M
M
Sardi
Clinical Biochemistry Department, Male Fertility Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemetry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
P
P
Chenlo
Clinical Biochemistry Department, Male Fertility Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemetry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Susana M
SM
Curi
Clinical Biochemistry Department, Male Fertility Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemetry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mercedes N
MN
Pugliese
Clinical Biochemistry Department, Male Fertility Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemetry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Herberto E
HE
Repetto
Urology Department, "José de San Martín" Clinical Hospital, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina (CP1120).
Mariano
M
Cohen
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D011184:Postoperative Period; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014646:Varicocele / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult