[Embryo development potential after intracytoplasmic injection of sperm from azoospermia patients with different...

To analyze the embryo development potential after intracytoplasmic injection of sperm from azoospermia patients with different spermatogenic functions.

We performed ICSI with sperm retrieved from azoospermia patients with different spermatogenic functions using percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) and testicular sperm aspiration (TESA). Then we recorded and analyzed the rates of normal fertilization, cleavages, excellent embryos and pregnancies.

No statistically significant differences were found between the PESA and TESA groups in the rates of normal fertilization ([74.9 +/- 19.6] vs [66.3 +/- 22.7]%, P > 0.05), cleavages ([96.7 +/- 8.6] vs [92.8 +/- 19.8]%, P > 0.05), excellent embryos ([43.5 +/- 26.2] vs [35.0 +/- 29.4]%, P > 0.05) and pregnancies (44.0 vs 52.0%, P > 0.05). The normal fertilization rates in the patients with normal spermatogenesis, mild spermatogenic dysfunction (SD), moderate SD and severe SD were (77.8 +/- 18.4), (68.4 +/- 18.5), (73.5 +/- 19.8) and (51.4 +/- 27.9)%, respectively, with significant difference between the normal spermatogenesis and mild SD groups (P < 0.05) as well as between the severe SD and the other groups (P < 0.05); the cleavage rates were (96.7 +/- 9.2), (96.5 +/- 15.0), (93.9 +/- 12.1) and (93.7 +/- 11.1)%, respectively, with no significant difference among the four groups; the excellent embryo rates were (47.1 +/- 25.8), (40.3 +/- 27.6), (36.2 +/- 23.1) and (15.0 +/- 24.6)%, respectively, with significant difference between the severe SD and the other groups; the pregnancy rates were 54.8, 50.0, 13.6 and 10.0%, respectively, with significant differences among the four groups (P < 0.001).

ICSI by PESA or TESA is an effective approach to azoospermia. There are no significant differences between PESA and TESA in the rates of normal fertilization, cleavages, excellent embryos and pregnancies. The severity of spermatogenic dysfunction affects fertilization and initial development of embryos, which were shown in the rates of normal fertilization, excellent embryos and pregnancies but not that of cleavages.