Korean J Fertil Steril.  2000 Sep;27(3):301-305.

A Normal Pregnancy and Delivery by Assisted Activation Following Roundheaded Spermatozoa (Globozoospermia) Injected into Oocytes

• Joo J
• Lee Y
• Yun S
• Im J
• Park H

Abstract

Globozoospermia is a rare type of teratozoospermia. It occurs in 0.1% of all andrological patient's and used to be considered sterile. Globozoospermic patient has 100% round headed spermatozoa, but the spermiogram is normal. The spermatozoa show oval-shape head, the lack of a nuclear envelope, acrosome, and post acrosomal sheath.
OBJECTIVE
To report that a couple with infertility secondary to globozoospermia received ICSI treatment. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Case report.
RESULTS
In the first trial, fertilization was failed. In the second trial, 40% of oocytes were fertilized and all of these embryos were cleaved, but pregnancy did not achieved. In the third trial, sperm injected oocytes were exposed to 10 micrometer calcium ionophore for 15 min. All of the injected oocytes were fertilized and proceeded to develop. Triplet pregnancy was achieved after the transfer of six embryos in their third cycle. One embryo vanished and the remaining twins (female) were delivered at 33 weeks of gestation by Caesarean section.
CONCLUSION
This result shows that assisted activation following ICSI may overcome infertility associated with globozoospermia.

MeSH Terms

Acrosome
Calcium
Cesarean Section
Embryonic Structures
Female
Fertilization
Head
Humans
Infertility
Male
Nuclear Envelope
Oocytes*
Pregnancy*
Pregnancy, Triplet
Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic
Spermatozoa*
Twins
Calcium