[Estimate of the variability in the evaluation of semen analysis]

Masculine Infertility diagnosis continues depending in a great number of cases of the analysis of the semen. However, appropriate interpretation of the seminal analysis implies to consider two factors, the dependability of the laboratory and the medical knowledge about the meaning of the seminal alterations.

Compare the results of the semen analysis among clinical laboratories.

It was used the semen samples of the patients that need a semen analysis for their study. The sample was collected in the biological fluids assessment laboratory (A) and was evaluated the sperm count, morphology and motility. They were distributed to the other laboratories, andrology laboratory (B) and Assisted Reproduction laboratory (C). It was calculated the coefficients of variation intra-observer and inter-observer and descriptive statistics.

It was analyzed 28 semen samples by one technician in laboratory A, one in laboratory B and four in the laboratory C, using the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for reporting sperm count, motility and morphology. There is an inter-laboratory variability of the parameters studied in the sperm morphology with statistical difference (p < 0.001). The observed mean coefficients of variation intraobserver (CVs) were 3.6% for sperm count, 20.3%for motility and 9.4% for sperm morphology. The mean CVs inter- laboratory results were as follows: 25.7% for sperm concentration, 52.2% for sperm motility and 82.6% for sperm morphology.

There is an inter-laboratory variability for the analysis of the semen samples between the 3 laboratories studied for the semen parameters studied.