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azoospermia
Absence of living spermatozoa in the semen.
Etiology:
- Klinefelter's syndrome
- reproductive tract obstruction
- absence of vas deferens
- cystic fibrosis
- cancer itself can depress sperm count [2]
Genetics:
- chromosomal deletions in chromosome Yq11.23 region, including the DAZ genes (DAZ, DAZ2, DAZ4), are a cause of azoospermia or oligospermia
- defects in DAZL may be a cause of oligospermia or azoospermia
Laboratory:
- semen anaysis (microscopy)
- serum FSH, serum LH
- serum testosterone
- testicular biopsy
- karyotype testing
- Klinefelter's syndrome 47 XXY
Management:
- prognosis:
- men who are azoospermic at cancer diagnosis can recover after successful cancer treatment [2]
Related
oligospermia
semen
spermatogenesis
spermatozoa
Specific
hypospermatogenesis
General
disorder of spermatogenesis
sign/symptom
References
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 11, American
College of Physicians, Philadelphia 1998
- Journal Watch 25(16):127, 2005
Ragni G, Arnoldi M, Somigliana E, Paffoni A, Brambilla ME,
Restelli L.
Reproductive prognosis in male patients with azoospermia at
the time of cancer diagnosis.
Fertil Steril. 2005 Jun;83(6):1674-9.
PMID: 15950635
- Schlegel PN
Causes of azoospermia and their management.
Reprod Fertil Dev. 2004;16(5):561-72.
PMID: 15367371
- Stahl PJ, Schlegel PN.
Genetic evaluation of the azoospermic or severely
oligozoospermic male.
Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2012 Aug;24(4):221-8. Review.
PMID: 22729088