Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Isolation of Sertoli Cells and Peritubular Cells from Rat Testes
Published on: February 8, 2016
Microdissection testicular sperm extraction in men with Sertoli cell-only testicular histology
Boback M Berookhim1, Gianpiero D Palermo2, Nikica Zaninovic2
1Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York; Urology Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
Objective:
To study the outcomes of microdissection testicular sperm extraction (microTESE) among men with pure Sertoli cell-only histology on diagnostic testicular biopsy.
Design:
Retrospective cohort study.
Setting:
Tertiary referral center.
Patient(S):
Six hundred forty patients with pure Sertoli cell-only histology on testicular biopsy who underwent microTESE by a single surgeon.
Intervention(S):
MicroTESE.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Sperm retrieval rates.
Result(S):
Overall, 44.5% of patients with Sertoli cell only had sperm retrieved with microTESE. No difference was noted in sperm retrieval rates based on testis volume (≥15 mL vs. <15 mL, 35.3% vs. 46.1%, respectively). Patients with ≥15 mL testicular volume and FSH 10-15 mU/mL had the worst prognosis, with a sperm retrieval rate of 6.7%.
Conclusion(S):
Patients with previous testicular biopsy demonstrating Sertoli cell-only histology can be counseled that they have a reasonable likelihood of sperm retrieval with the contemporary delivery of microTESE. Given this finding, the utility of testicular biopsy before microTESE is further questioned.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Testes: Histology
The spermatogenic cells, responsible for producing sperm, are...
01:41Spermatogenesis
01:22Spermatogenesis
The process of spermatogenesis can be divided into mitosis, meiosis, and spermiogenesis. During mitosis, the spermatogonia or stem cells divide to produce two identical daughter cells, type A and B spermatogonia. Type-A...
01:23Infertility in Males