[A programme for male infertility investigation (author's transl)]

Male infertility investigation must proceed according to a strict order to state precisely the etiology. Among the essential exams, the semen analysis, the post coital test, LH, FSH and testosterone assays are the corner stones of the evaluation of the infertile male. The recent advances were made on the ultrastructure of spermatozoa and its abnormalities (ciliary dyskinesis) and the syndrome of partial resistance to androgens. But the research for a curable form of infertility is too often useless. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, which could be treated by human gonadotropins or LHRH, represents only 0,5% of the cases. The results of surgery are rather poor. Sometimes, the improvement of sperm quality by laboratory manipulations permits artificial insemination.