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Clinical aspects associated with Sertoli‐cell‐only histology
Author(s) -
Bettocchi,
Patrick Parkinson,
Paul Ralph,
Pryor
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
british journal of urology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1464-410X
pISSN - 0007-1331
DOI - 10.1046/j.1464-410x.1998.00771.x
Subject(s) - azoospermia , spermatogenesis , sertoli cell , biopsy , male infertility , infertility , medicine , follicle stimulating hormone , testicle , histology , andrology , hormone , pathology , luteinizing hormone , biology , pregnancy , genetics
Objective To assess the clinical features found in infertile men in whom the histological diagnosis of Sertoli‐cell‐only (SCO) was made on testicular biopsy. Patients and methods A retrospective review was carried out of the seminal fluid analysis, testis size and follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) levels of 72 men who had bilateral testicular biopsies due to infertility when one (30) or both (42) of bilateral testicular biopsies showed tubules containing only Sertoli cells. In a subgroup of 15 men, the biopsies were re‐examined to correlate the morphological features with the plasma FSH level. Results When both biopsies showed bilateral SCO the patient had azoospermia (86%) or oligozoospermia (14%); the testicular size was normal in 36% and the FSH level was normal (43%), raised (21%) or grossly elevated (more than twice normal, 36%). When one biopsy showed SCO, the opposite testis showed appearances which varied from grossly impaired spermatogenesis to almost normal spermatogenesis. The clinical findings were also very variable. Conclusions The clinical features associated with the histological diagnosis of SCO are extremely variable. Biopsy evidence of bilateral SCO cannot be relied upon to indicate a total absence of spermatogenesis in the testes.