Journal
JOURNAL OF UROLOGY
Volume 177, Issue 4, Pages 1447-1449Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2006.11.039
Keywords
testis; biopsy; anatomy and histology; infertility, male; azoospermia
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Purpose: We determined the effect of prior biopsies with no sperm seen on the chance of sperm retrieval with microdissection testicular sperm extraction in men with nonobstructive azoospermia. Materials and Methods: A total of 311 men with NOA underwent microdissection testicular sperm extraction. Of these patients 135 underwent no prior biopsies, 159 underwent 1 or 2 diagnostic testicular biopsies per testis and 17 underwent 3 or 4. The outcome measure studied was the success of sperm retrieval with microdissection testicular sperm extraction. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone and histopathological diagnosis were examined as predictive factors for sperm recovery. Results: Spermatozoa were retrieved in 150 men by microdissection testicular sperm extraction (48%). The success of sperm retrieval in patients who underwent 3 to 4 biopsies (23%) was lower than the retrieval rate in patients who underwent no prior biopsies (56%) and 1 to 2 biopsies per testis (51%) (p = 0.04). When histopathology was considered, patients with Sertoli-cell-only diagnosis on prior diagnostic biopsy had lower retrieval rates compared to the group with no biopsies (p = 0.02). Men with maturation arrest and hypospermatogenesis had similar microdissection testicular sperm extraction sperm retrieval rates regardless of the number of prior biopsies. Spermatozoa recovery was independent of serum follicle-stimulating hormone. Conclusions: There is no threshold of prior negative biopsies that precludes the success of sperm retrieval using microdissection testicular sperm extraction. A limited number of testicular biopsies provide limited or no prognostic value for sperm retrieval with microdissection testicular sperm extraction.
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