[Genetic male infertility and medically assisted reproduction]

About half the cases of infertility have their origin in the male partner. Infertility due to males has several possible aetiologies. In about 30% of cases, genetic disorders are suspected of being the main cause. They could interfere with the development of the male gonads, the urogenital tract or the hypothalamo-hypophyseal axes. Such disorders could also stop germ cell generation and maturation or lead to the production of non-functional spermatozoa. Genetic disorders of chromosomal origin could give rise to abnormal karyotypes or germinal mosic figure. They could involve gene abnormalities affecting numerous genes localized on several chromosomes, in particular the Y chromosome. The physiopathologic identification of male infertility is interesting because of the risk of the genetic factors involved being transmitted to the offspring. The subject is of importance, specially because of the increasing use of intracytoplasmic sperm injections. Couples should therefore be precisely counselled to enable them to make a well-informed choice among various solutions, e.g. ART, with or without sperm donation, or adoption.