Seminal Tract Washout: A New Diagnostic Tool in Complicated Cases of Male Infertility

The diagnosis of azoospermia or severe oligospermia that is made using conventional techniques (testicular biopsy, epididymal exploration, and vasovesiculography) may in some cases remain a dilemma. In such circumstances, post‐testicular causes of obstruction must be evaluated. Following the clinica...

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Published inJournal of andrology Vol. 15; no. S6; pp. 17S - 22S
Main Authors COLPI, GIOVANNI M., NEGRI, LUCIANO, SCROPPO, FABRIZIO I., GRUGNETTI, CRISTINA, PATRIZIO, PASQUALE
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.1994
Subjects
Adult
azoospermia
Biopsy
Evaluation Studies as Topic
excretory infertility
Genitalia, Male
Humans
Infertility, Male - diagnosis
Male
Middle Aged
Oligospermia - diagnosis
oligozoospermia
seminal tract
Seminal tract washout
Sperm Count
spermatozoa
Testis - pathology
Therapeutic Irrigation
Vas Deferens - pathology
vasovesiculography
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Summary:The diagnosis of azoospermia or severe oligospermia that is made using conventional techniques (testicular biopsy, epididymal exploration, and vasovesiculography) may in some cases remain a dilemma. In such circumstances, post‐testicular causes of obstruction must be evaluated. Following the clinical experience acquired in a selected population of 150 severely infertile subjects, the total sperm count in the fluid obtained from the bladder after a seminal tract washout during vasovesiculography has proved to be a valid tool to diagnose the location of the (sub‐)obstruction in the seminal tract in complicated cases. Some representative cases are presented. In particular, seminal tract washout (STW) helps to identify functional distal seminal tract emptying disturbances and epididymal incomplete obstruction.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0196-3635
1939-4640
DOI:10.1002/j.1939-4640.1994.tb01698.x