The occurrence and identification of round spermatids in the ejaculate of men with nonobstructive azoospermia

Objective: To evaluate the occurrence of round spermatids in the ejaculate of men suffering from nonobstructive azoospermia as a prerequisite far the therapeutic use of round spermatid injection into oocytes. Design: Prospective study. Setting: University-based diagnostic and research laboratory Patient(s): Azoospermic men previously thought to be definitively infertile whose cases were revisited in view of the novel method of fertilization by round spermatid injection into oocytes. Intervention(s): Smear preparations of cells from patients' ejaculates were stained by three different methods: Papanicolaou, fluorescein-labeled Pisum sativum agglutinin binding, and antiacrosin antiserum immunolabeling. Main Outcome Measure(s): Search for round spermatids in smear preparations of cells from azoospermic ejaculates. Result(s): Of 124 azoospermic men examined, 86 (69%) had round spermatids in the ejaculate. The quantity of round spermatids was not related to serum FSH concentration. Conclusion(s): Variable quantities of round spermatids can be detected in the ejaculate of most patients with nonobstructive azoospermia. High serum FSH levels do not predict the absence of spermatids.