Silent infection in male accessory genital organs and male infertility

A silent infection of the male accessory genital organs was found in the semen of 78 patients (22,3%) of 350 infertile men. All the sperm characteristics (except agglutination) were significantly deteriorated in the infection group as compared to the sperm of 36 normal men. The volume was significantly larger than normal. In this group there was significant leukocytosis and, as a sign of prostatic hypofunction, reduced seminal acid phosphatase and citric acid activity. Chemotherapy for a period of two to four weeks improved leukocytosis and sperm transiently. Only acid phosphatase was normal three months after the treatment. Suggested reasons for the infertility of the silent infection group are: 1. hypofunction of the male genital organs, caused by a primary, strong infection suffered earlier. 2. The chronic, nonclinical infection of the male accessory genital organs, mainly as a complication of the primary infection. Chemotherapy for a period of four weeks seems to be too short to correct the silent infection as well as the infertility.