[Male infertility with chromosomal abnormalities. I. XYY syndrome]

Chromosomal abnormalities are found in a considerably high percentage of cases of male infertility, in particular azoospermia. We report a case of the XYY syndrome and review the literature. A 36-year-old man, a factory hand, presented with infertility. He was safely delivered at term as a fourth child when his father was 41 years old and his mother 38. He had no delinquent or criminal record. His height was 179 cm, weight 75 kg and distance of extended hands 184 cm. No gynecomastia was noticed. Both testes were 8ml in size and growth of pubic hair and penis were normal. Severe oligozoospermia was identified in semen analysis. Seminal vesiculography showed pathological dilatation of the seminal vas end. The testicular biopsy specimens revealed spermatogenic arrest for the most part. Chromosomal analysis showed 47, XYY karyotype; and, two Y-chromatin was revealed in cultured lymphocytes. Though plasma gonadotropin levels were high, testosterone, estradiol, prolactin, TSH, GH, T3 and T4 levels were within normal limits. Pituitary reserve function for secreting gonadotropins and Leydig cell reserve function to secrete testosterone have been found to be almost normal.