Elsevier

Fertility and Sterility

Volume 102, Issue 5, November 2014, Pages 1282-1286
Fertility and Sterility

Original article
Microdissection testicular sperm extraction in men with Sertoli cell–only testicular histology

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.08.007Get rights and content
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Objective

To study the outcomes of microdissection testicular sperm extraction (microTESE) among men with pure Sertoli cell–only histology on diagnostic testicular biopsy.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Tertiary referral center.

Patient(s)

Six hundred forty patients with pure Sertoli cell–only histology on testicular biopsy who underwent microTESE by a single surgeon.

Intervention(s)

MicroTESE.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Sperm retrieval rates.

Result(s)

Overall, 44.5% of patients with Sertoli cell only had sperm retrieved with microTESE. No difference was noted in sperm retrieval rates based on testis volume (≥15 mL vs. <15 mL, 35.3% vs. 46.1%, respectively). Patients with ≥15 mL testicular volume and FSH 10–15 mU/mL had the worst prognosis, with a sperm retrieval rate of 6.7%.

Conclusion(s)

Patients with previous testicular biopsy demonstrating Sertoli cell–only histology can be counseled that they have a reasonable likelihood of sperm retrieval with the contemporary delivery of microTESE. Given this finding, the utility of testicular biopsy before microTESE is further questioned.

Key Words

Azoospermia
male infertility
testicular failure
sperm retrieval

Cited by (0)

B.M.B. has nothing to disclose. G.D.P. has nothing to disclose. N.Z. has nothing to disclose. Z.R. has nothing to disclose. P.N.S. has nothing to disclose.

The James Buchanan Brady Foundation and the Reeves Foundation of New York Presbyterian Hospital, as well as the Clinical and Translational Science Center of Weill Cornell Medical College provided support for this study.