Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to give a concise but practical overview of the in-office evaluation of the infertile man. Women have traditionally sought consultation and treatment for infertility, so the focus of therapy for many years has been on female factors. Because approximately 40% of infertility cases involve male factors, it is imperative that the couple be considered as a unit and the infertility evaluation proceed in a parallel manner. Also, significant medical pathology can be uncovered by a comprehensive infertility evaluation of the man. Additionally, with advances in the diagnosis and treatment of male factor infertility, and the refinement of assisted reproductive techniques, many men whose problems were once untreatable are now excellent candidates for therapy. As economic issues are becoming increasingly important, it is evident that treatment of male factor infertility is cost-effective. The man must not be ignored, and the following is a guide to his evaluation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
Suggested Reading
Acacio BD, Gottfried T, Israel R, et al. Evaluation of a large cohort of men presenting for a screening semen analysis. Fertil Steril 2000;73:595–597.
Amer M, Haggar SE, Moustafa T, et al. Testicular sperm extraction: impact of testicular histology on outcome, number of biopsies to be performed and optimal time for repetition. Hum Reprod 1999;14:3030–3034.
Belker AM, Thomas AJ Jr, Fuchs EF, et al. Results of 1469 microsurgical vasectomy reversals by the Vasovasostomy Study Group. J Urol 1991;145:505.
Chuang AT, Howards SS. Male infertility: evaluation and nonsurgical therapy. Urol Clin North Am. 1998;25: 703–713.
Clarke GN, Elliott PJ, Smaila C. Detection of sperm antibodies in semen using the immunobead test: a survey of 813 consecutive patients. Am J Reprod Immunol Microbiol 1985;7;118–123.
Cram DS, Ma K, Bhasin S, Arias J, Pandjaitan M, Chu B, Audrins P, Saunders D, Quinn F, de Kretser D, McLachlan R: Y chromosome analysis of infertile men and their sons conceived through intracytoplasmic sperm injection: vertical transmission of deletions and rarity of de novo deletions, Fertil Steril 74:909, 2000.
Goldenberg RL, White R. The effect of vaginal lubricants on sperm motility in vitro. Fertil Steril 1975; 26:872.
Goldstein M. Surgery of Male Infertility. Philadelphia: Saunders, 1995.
Haas GC Jr, Manganiello P: A double-blind, placebo controlled study of the use of methylprednisolone in infertile men with sperm-associated immunoglobulins, Fertil Steril 47:295, 1987.
Hellstrom WJ, Overstreet JW, Samuels SJ, et al. The relationship of circulating antisperm antibodies to sperm surface antibodies in infertile men. J Urol 1980; 140: 1039.
Hendry WF: The significance of antisperm antibodies: measurement and management, Clin Endocrinol 36: 219, 1992.
Honig SC, Oates RD. Infertility. In: Krane RJ, Siroky MB, Fitzpatrick IM (eds) Clinical Urology. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1994; 1102–1142.
Honig SC, Lipshultz LI, and Jarow J. Significant medical pathology uncovered by a comprehensive male infertility evaluation. Fertil Steril 62:1028, 1994.
Jarow IP. Seminal vesicle aspiration of fertile men. J Urol 1996;156:1005–1007.
Kamischke A, Nieschlag E. Analysis of medical treatment of male infertility. Hum Reprod 1999;14(suppl l):1–23.
Kleiman SE, Yogev L, Hauser R, Botcham A, Lessing JB, Paz G, et al. Genetic evaluation of infertile men. Hum Reprod 14:33, 1999.
Kruger TF, Acosta AA, Simmons KE, et al. Predictive value of abnormal sperm morphology in in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril 1988;49:112.
Lamb EJ. Prognosis for the infertile couple. Fertil Steril 1972;23:320.
Lipschultz LI. Cryptoorchidism in the subfertile male. Fertil Steril 1976;27:609.
Lipschultz LI, Howards SS. Infertility in the Male, 3rd ed. St. Louis: Mosby-Year Book, 1996.
Lubs HA Jr. Testicular size in Klinefelter’s syndrome in men over fifty. N Engl J Med 1962;267:326.
Madgar I, et al. Controlled trial of high spermatic vein ligation for varicocele in infertile men. Fertil Steril 1995;63:120.
McClure RD. Male infertility. In: Tanagho EA, Mc-Aninch JW (eds) General Urology. Norwalk, CT: Lange, 1992:669–695.
Muller CH. Rationale, interpretation, validation, and uses of sperm function tests. J Androl 2000;21:10–30.
Ohl DA, Naz RK. Infertility due to antisperm antibodies. Urology 1995;46:591–602.
Schlesinger MS, Nagler HM. Treatment outcome after varicocelectomy. Urol Clin North Am 1994;21:517.
Page DC, Silber S, Brown LG. Men with infertility caused by AZFc deletion can produce sons by intracytoplasmic sperm injection, but are likely to transmit the deletion and infertility. Hum Reprod 14:1722, 1999.
Schlegel PN: Is assisted reproduction the optimal treatment for varicocele-associated male infertility? A cost-effectiveness analysis. Urology, 49:83, 1997.
Sigman M, Howards SS. Male infertility. In: Walsh PC, Retik AB, Stamey TA, Vaughan ED (eds) Campbell’s Urology. Philadelphia: Saunders, 1992:661–705.
Sigman M, Lipshultz LI. Male infertility. In: Stein BS, Caldamone AA, Smith JA (eds) Clinical Urological Practice. New York: Norton, 1995:1219–1270.
Silber SJ, Alagappan R, Brown LG, Page DC. Y chromosome deletions in azoospermic men undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection after testicular sperm extraction. Hum Reprod 13:3332, 1998.
Witkin SS, David SS. Effect of sperm antibodies on pregnancy outcome in a subfertile population. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1988;158:59–62.
Witkin SS, Viti D, David SS, et al. Relation between antisperm antibodies and the rate of fertilization of human oocytes in vitro. J Assist Reprod Genet 1992;9:207–210.
World Health Organization. WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination of Human Semen and Sperm-Cervical Mucus Interaction, 3rd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992.
Yanagimachi R, Yanagimachi H, Rogers BJ. The use of zona-free animal ova as a test system for the assessment of the fertilizing capacity of human spermatozoa. Biol Reprod 1976; 15:471.
Zonari R, deAlmeida M, Rodrigues D, et al. Localization of antibodies on spermatozoa and sperm movement characteristics are good predictors of in vitro fertilization success in cases of male autoimmune infertility. Fertil Steril 1993;59:606–612.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2002 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Spear, K.A. (2002). Evaluation of the Male for Infertility. In: Seifer, D.B., Collins, R.L. (eds) Office-Based Infertility Practice. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-87690-5_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-87690-5_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-87692-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-87690-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive