Hum. Reprod. Advance Access first published online on December 23, 2004
This version published online on January 21, 2005
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/deh706
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 Andrology Unit, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqva and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. BACKGROUND: To evaluate the improvement in semen quality and pregnancy rate after internal spermatic vein (ISV) embolization in men with nonobstructive azoospermia virtual azoospermia, or extremely severe oligoteratoasthenoazoospermia (OTA). METHODS: A prospective cohort of 101 azoospermic or severe oligoteratoasthenospermic men of mean (±SD) age 34.1±7.7 years who underwent ISV between September 1998 and June 2003 were evaluated for semen characteristics, endocrinology profile, and conception rate. RESULTS: Significant improvement was noted in mean sperm concentration, motility, and morphology in 83 men (82%). Mean sperm concentration increased from 0.22±0.30 x 106/ml total sperm in the ejaculate to 9.28±1.2 x 106/ml after embolization (P<0.001); mean sperm motility rose from 8.78±1.59 to 29.56±2.0% (P<0.001), and mean sperm morphology rose from 3.79±0.74 to 13.72±1.37% (P<0.005). Pregnancy was achieved in 34 cases (34%), 20 (20%) unassisted and 14 (14%) assisted. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings, the following statements can be made: (i) Varicocele may cause any variation of severity in OTA, including azoospermia. (ii) Since male fertility is preserved with only one testis, OTA, azoospermia or virtual azoospermia represent bilateral testicular dysfunction. (iii) Treatment of bilateral varicocele may reverse testicular dysfunction and improve spermatognesis and testosterone production in men with extremely severe OTA and induce sperm production in men with azoospermia and virtual azoospermia. (iv) If azoospermia is not too long-standing, the treatment of varicocele may significantly improve spermatogenesis and renew sperm production. (v) Adequate treatment may spare in >50% of azoospermic patients the need for testicular sperm extraction as preparation for ICSI. (vi) Since achievement of pregnancy in IVF units is higher when spermatogenesis is better, the treatment of varicocele (bilateral) is an effective medical adjunct for the IVF units prior to the treatment. We recommend that infertile men with azoospermia or virtual azoospermia or extremely severe OTA be evaluated for varicocele, with special attention to its bilateral nature.
Received October 11, 2004
Revised November 22, 2004
Accepted November 30, 2004
Article
Induction of spermatogenesis in azoospermic men after internal spermatic vein embolization for the treatment of varicocele
2 Department of Radiology and the Interventional and Vascular Unit, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqva and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
3 Department of Urology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
4 Department of Medicine B, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqva, Israel
Yigal Gat, E-mail: yigalgat{at}yahoo.com
Abstract 
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. Flacke, M. Schuster, A. Kovacs, M. von Falkenhausen, H. M. Strunk, G. Haidl, and H. H. Schild Embolization of Varicocles: Pretreatment Sperm Motility Predicts Later Pregnancy in Partners of Infertile Men Radiology, August 1, 2008; 248(2): 540 - 549. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y. Gat, Z. Zukerman, J. Chakraborty, and M. Gornish Varicocele, hypoxia and male infertility. Fluid Mechanics analysis of the impaired testicular venous drainage system Hum. Reprod., September 1, 2005; 20(9): 2614 - 2619. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|