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TESE for Cryptozoospermia with Normal Sperm DNA Fragmentation

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Emerging Topics in Reproduction

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Abstract

Sperm DNA fragmentation has been associated with abnormal semen parameters and poor reproductive outcomes. To overcome the effect of sperm DNA damage on reproduction, several investigators advocate the use of testicular rather than ejaculated sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). In men with cryptozoospermia (variant of nonobstructive azoospermia), sperm DNA fragmentation testing is not feasible (due to the very low number of spermatozoa), although sperm DNA damage is likely present in the spermatozoa of these men. As such, the use of testicular sperm for ICSI has been proposed as a treatment for these couples. However, the data to support this approach are limited and conflicting. Therefore, clinicians are encouraged to rely on their own judgment in deciding on whether to proceed to testicular sperm retrieval-ICSI or ejaculated sperm-ICSI with a careful understanding of the potential risks associated with the use of testicular sperm.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Ahmad H. Al-Malki MD & Armand Zini MD

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Armand Zini MD

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  1. Ahmad H. Al-Malki MD
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Andrology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    Douglas T. Carrell

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Catherine Racowsky

  3. Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA

    Peter N. Schlegel

  4. NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Alan H. DeCherney

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Al-Malki, A.H., Zini, A. (2018). TESE for Cryptozoospermia with Normal Sperm DNA Fragmentation. In: Carrell, D., Racowsky, C., Schlegel, P., DeCherney, A. (eds) Emerging Topics in Reproduction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90823-6_1

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