J Korean Androl Soc.  1997 Dec;15(2):123-129.

Quantitative Analysis of Testicular Histology in Nonobstructive Azoospermia

• Lee YK
• Kim HS
• Oh TH

Abstract

PURPOSE:Testicular biopsy is a useful tool for the evaluation of azoospermia. Because the previous qualitative results have been limited in identifying the etiologies of severe oligospermia or azoospermia and have little value for the microsurgical approaches such as intracytoplasmic sperm insertion, we made an attempt at quantitative analysis of testicular biopsies using Johnsen's score.
METHODS
We reviewed 70 cases of nonobstructive azoospermia seen from January 1991 to July 1997.
RESULTS
Germ cell aplasia was found in 37 cases (53%), hypospermatogenesis in 16 cases (23%), maturation arrest in 11 cases (16%), and sloughing and disorganization 6 cases (9%). The mean testicular biopsy scores were significantly lower in germ cell aplasia than in the other groups. A significant correlation was demonstrated between testicualr meas volume and the Johnsen mean score. We found a significant correlation between serum FSH, LH, and Johnsen score but no correlation between serum prolactin or testosterone and Johnesen testicular score.
CONCLUSION
Quantitative analysis of testicular biopsy specimens in nonobstructive azoospermic patients permits a more accurate diagnosis of testicular status and serves as a indicator of choice of treatment.

MeSH Terms

Azoospermia*
Biopsy
Diagnosis
Germ Cells
Humans
Male
Oligospermia
Prolactin
Spermatogenesis
Spermatozoa
Testosterone
Prolactin
Testosterone