Azoospermia is a dysfunction occurring in about 1% of all men and in 5-10% of male infertility cases. Unfortunately, the number of people affected by this disease is growing. What is azoospermia and how is it treated?
Azoospermiais a condition that is characterized by a lack ofspermwsemen . Azoospermia is diagnosed when a doctor confirms the initial diagnosis in two independent tests.
Is it possible to have children with azoospermia?
Cases of azoospermia involve two possibilities that have different prognosis for the chance of having children. A negative prognosis is a situation in which sperm production is completely stopped. It is irreversible with few exceptions. The prognosis is good when production is maintained or only impaired. Due to congenital or acquired (usually inflammatory) reasons, the sperm does not escape with the ejaculate.
Azoospermia research and treatment
The management of a patient with azoospermia includes: a detailed interview in which questions about past diseases (e.g. mumps), general examination and detailed andrological examination, hormonal tests and individually selected additional tests.
In those cases where the performed tests determine a significant probability of preserved sperm production, the possibility of performing a diagnostic biopsy of the venoms is considered. If sperm is obtained in the collected material, it is frozen after the initial evaluation. In the next step, the couple is prepared for in vitro treatment (IVF-ICSI). The number of sperm obtained as a result of the biopsy is small, therefore this procedure is the only effective method used in such cases. However, if a man does not obtain sperm, couples can use a sperm bank.