Testicular Biopsy in Male Sterility

Ko, Young Geun; Park, Heung Won

Abstract

Testicular biopsy is mandatory in azoospermic men with normal sized testes to distinguish between ductal obstruction and spermatogenic failure as the cause of azoospermia. In men with poor semen quality or azoospermia and small testes, the results of a pathologic evaluation will rarely if ever alter therapy. However, the biopsy often assists in making a definitive diagnosis which helps the physician in giving the patient a prognosis and avoiding unnecessary treatment in irredeemable situation. We performed 25 cases of testicular biopsy in infertile men, procuring the results as below: 1. Testicular biopsy specimen were classified into 5 group histopathologically: germ cell aplasia, 6 cases (24%); spermatogenic arrest, 8 cases (32%); hypospermatogenesis, 5 cases (20%); peritubular or tubular fibrosis, 3 cases (12%); normal or obstructive, 3 cases (12%). 2. In 25 cases, 18 cases were azoospermia and 7 cases were oligospermia. 3. In 13 cases (52%), the lesions were localized both in the seminiferous tubule and in the interstitial tissue and in 9 cases (36%), the lesions were localized only in the seminiferous tubule, and 3 cases (12%)were normal.