Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of simultaneous testicular touch-print cytology, testicular histopathology, and wet preparation in nonobstructive azoospermic (NOA) males.
Methods: Three hundred and sixty-three males with NOA underwent a multiple testicular sampling prior to ICSI for histopathologic evaluation, diagnostic testicular sperm extraction, and simultaneous touch-print cytology to evaluate sperm presence or absence. A total of 979 testicular samples were taken.
Results: Sperm recovery was achieved in 106 cases (29.2%). Patients with hypospermatogenesis and focal spermatogenesis needed 2.8 and 5.9 biopsies, respectively, to retrieve spermatozoa, while in patients with germ cell aplasia and maturation arrest, even after eight to nine samples no spermatozoa were recovered. Neither the FSH levels nor the testicular volume was found to be significant in the prediction of sperm recovery. If only a single testis was to be biopsied, 25% of the cases with sperm recovery would have been missed. The combination of touch-print cytology with histopathology and wet preparation increased the accuracy of spermatozoa identification.
Conclusion: Touch-print cytology was found to be more predictive than wet preparation in the diagnosis of spermatogenesis; moreover, it was found to be a quick and easy technique providing an accurate diagnosis in prediction of sperm recovery.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Tournaye H, Staessen C, Liebaers I, Van Asche E, Devroey P, Bonduelle M, Van Steirteghem A: Testicular sperm recovery in nine 47, XXY Klinefelter patients. Hum Reprod 1996;11:1644-1649
Silber SJ, van Steirteghem A, Liu J, Tournaye H, Devroey P: Normal pregnancies resulting from testicular sperm extraction and intracytoplasmic sperm injection for azoospermia due to maturation arrest. Fertil Steril 1996;66:110-117
Kahraman S, Özgür S, Alataş C, Aksoy S, Balaban B, Evrenkaya T, Nughoglu A, Tasdemir M, Biberoglu K, Schoysman R, Vanderzwalmen P, Nijs M: High implantation and pregnancy rates with testicular sperm extraction and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia. Hum Reprod 1996;11:673-676
Yoshida A, Miura K, Shirai M: Evaluation of seminiferous tubule scores obtained through testicular biopsy examinations of non-obstructive azoospermic men. Fertil Steril 1997;68:514-518
Kim ED, Gilbaugh JH, Patel VR, et al.: Testis biopsies frequently demonstrate sperm in men with azoospermia and significantly elevated follicle-stimulating hormone levels. Urology 1997;157:144-146
Belker AM, Sherins RJ, Dennison-Lagos L: Improved simple and rapid staining method for intraoperative examination of testicular biopsy touch imprints [abstract]. Fertil Steril 1995;128(Suppl):074
Kessaris DN, Wasserman P, Mellinger BC: Histopathological and cytopathological correlations of percutaneous testis biopsy and open testis biopsy in infertile men. J Urol 1995;153:1151
Lin WW, Abrams J, Lipshultz LI, Kim ED: Image analysis assessment of testicular touch preparation cytologies effectively quantifies human spermatogenesis. J Urol 1998;160:1334-1336
Coburn M, Wheeler TM: Testicular biopsy in male infertility evaluation. In Infertility in Male, 2nd edn, LI Lipshultz, SS Howards (eds), St Luis, Mosby Year Book, 1991; pp 223-253
Johnsen SG: Testicular biopsy score count-a method for registration of spermiogenesis in human testes: Normal values and the results in 335 hypogonadal males. Hormones 1970;1:2
Devroey P, Liu J, Nagy ZP, Goossens A, Tournaye H, Camus M, Van Steirteghem A, Silber S: Pregnancies after testicular sperm extraction and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in non-obstructive azoospermia. Hum Reprod 1995;10:1457-1460
Gottschalk-Sabag S, Weiss DB, Folb-Zacharow N, Zukerman Z: Is one testicular specimen sufficient for quantitative evaluation of spermatogenesis? Fertil Steril 1995;64:399-402
Kim ED, Greer JA, Abrams J, Lipshultz LI: Testicular touch preparation cytology. J Urol 1996;156:1412-1414
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kahraman, S., Yakin, K., Şamli, M. et al. Andrology: A Comparative Study of Three Techniques for the Analysis of Sperm Recovery: Touch-Print Cytology, Wet Preparation, and Testicular Histopathology. J Assist Reprod Genet 18, 357–363 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016602804661
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016602804661