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Ultrastructural Pathology of the Spermatozoa with Genetic Basis

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Clues in the Diagnosis of Non-tumoral Testicular Pathology

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Abstract

Electron microscopy is an important tool to know not only the presence but the nature of spermatozoa defects. The data it provides along with molecular studies, even if taken in isolation, are of higher value than simply mobility or coloring characteristics. An ultrastructural study is indicated in the following situations: (a) in all cases of moderate or severe persistent asthenozoospermia unexplained by sperm infection, varicocele, or the presence of anti-spermatozoa antibodies; (b) in teratozoospermia, provided that the number of spermatozoa showing the same anomaly is very high; and (c) in all patients with lengthy unexplained infertility, before including them in an IVF program. Anomalies considered to have a potential genetic basis are the following: globozoospermia, hypoplasia of the acrosome, macrocephalic spermatozoa syndrome, abnormal head-tail attachment, decapitated spermatozoa syndrome, fibrous sheath dysplasia, and primary ciliary dyskinesia. The different morphological abnormalities and the molecular basis of these anomalies are discussed in this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Madrid, Spain

    Manuel Nistal

  2. School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), University Hospital La Paz, Department of Pathology, Madrid, Spain

    Pilar González-Peramato

  3. University Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Department of Urology, Madrid, Spain

    Álvaro Serrano

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  1. Manuel Nistal
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  2. Pilar González-Peramato
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  3. Álvaro Serrano
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Nistal, M., González-Peramato, P., Serrano, Á. (2017). Ultrastructural Pathology of the Spermatozoa with Genetic Basis. In: Clues in the Diagnosis of Non-tumoral Testicular Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49364-0_20

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