title: Azoospermic patient's treatment: An experience of a PMA hospital unit and role of ultrasonography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Azoospermia causes about 10% of male infertility and the best therapeutic option is the retrieval of sperm from testis or epididymis.
  
  
  METHODS
  From Juanary 2008 to June 2016, 92 men (median 36 years; range: 25-54 years) were submitted in 47 cases to TESE (testicular sperm extraction) and in 45 cases to PESA (percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration) for secretory and obstructive azoospermia, respectively; moreover, all the patients previously underwent color Doppler ultrasound of the testis and transrectal ultrasound of the prostate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum FSH values were 9.4 ml/UI and 36.4 ml/UI (median 18.2 ml/UI) with an estimated volume of the testis equal to 5 ml; 40 men had the mutation for cystic fibrosis with bilateral agenesis of the deferentia vasa, 4 men had a cyst of the prostatic utricle, 1 man had retrograde ejaculation, 7 had an epididymis cyst and 2 had anejaculation secondary to traumatic neurologic spinal cord injury. The retrieval of sperm was performed in 39 (83%) and 36 (80%) of the patients submitted to TESE and PESA, respectively. The pregnancy rate was equal to 28% and 33% in men with secretory and obstructive azoospermia, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assisted reproduction technology with a multidisciplinary team is provided of a pregnancy rate equal about 30% in men with azoospermia; ultrasound allows to evaluate abnormalities of the testis and prostate improving the percentage of pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Urologic Unit, PMA service, Cannizzaro Hospital, Catania. p.panella@alice.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Panella
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pepe
authors.forename: Placido
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borzì
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Vento
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pennisi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scollo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000150:complications*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053625:Sperm Retrieval; D013737:Testis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography