Testicular Biopsy in Infertile Men with Azoospermia

Oh, Bong Ryoul; Park, Yang Il; Juhng, Sang Woo

Abstract

Testicular biopsy is an important tool in the diagnosis and management of male infertility. The increasing use of this procedure has permitted a rational classification of the testicular lesion responsible for infertility and provide an intelligent basis for the institution of corrective measures or the withholding of therapy in cases in which the biopsy indicates a hopeless prognosis for fertility. The testicular biopsy findings of 48 azoospermia cases were evaluated in aspects of testicular size and past history. The following results were obtained. 1. The biopsy findings of 8 cases with normal sized testes and no nodules of both epididymimides and vasa deferens were normal in 4 cases, germinal aplasia in 2 cases, maturation arrest in 1 case and hypospermatogenesis in 1 case. 2. The biopsy findings of 23 cases with small sized testes and no nodules of both epididymides and vasa deferens were germinal aplasia in 13 cases, generalized fibrosis in 6 cases, maturation arrest in 3 cases and hypospermatogenesis in 1 case. 3. The past history of 17 cases with normal sized testes and bilateral induration of epididymides of vasa deferens revealed nonspecific epididymitis in 6 cases, tuberculous epididymides in 6 cases, tuberculous epididymitis in 5 cases, vasectomy in 5 cases and trauma of scrotum in 1 case. The biopsy findings of these cases were normal in 10 cases, hypospermatogenesis in 3 cases, testicular blockage in 3 cases and atrophy in 1 case.