MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SPERMATOGENESIS IN PATIENTS WITH MALE INFERTILITY

Abstract

Morphological changes of spermatogenic epithelium were studied in 162 infertile men aged 18 to 46 years. Testis biopsy was performed in patients before the ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection) cycle. Seminiferous epithelium was examined on serial histological sections of the testicular biopsy specimens. The results of the study have demonstrated spermatogenic epithelium hypoplasia and subtotal aplasia, Sertoli-cell-only syndrome, and atrophy of convoluted seminiferous tubules. In patients with pathospermia, a decrease in the content of spermatogonia, spermatocytes and sustentocytes (Sertoli cells) was recorded. The number of sustentocytes may be used as a predictor of spermatogenesis preservation.

Keywords

testis / spermatogenesis / Sertoli-cell-only syndrome / male infertility

References

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