Comparison of computerized semen analysis with the conventional procedure in 322 patients

To compare the results of computerized image analysis for semen evaluation with classical semen analysis, semen samples from 322 consecutive patients attending our infertility clinic were studied. In men with sperm concentrations less than 20 X 10(6)/ml, major discrepancies existed between both methods for sperm concentration. In many instances, debris could not be distinguished from normal sperm by the computerized system. This caused an overestimation of sperm concentration and led to a reduction of motility estimates. As a consequence, frequency distribution of motility, expressed as the percentage of motile sperm, differed to a major extent in both systems.