Light microscopy as an aid in predicting ureaplasma infection in human semen

The potential role of Ureaplasma urealyticum in human infertility make it desirable to screen barren couples for this infection. Semen specimens from 96 consecutive patients were evaluated in our clinic. Microbiologic results were correlated with the percentage of coiled and fuzzy tails in seminal cytology. These features were then used in a double-blind study to predict Ureaplasma infection in another group of 100 randomly selected patients. It was possible to predict the presence or absence of Ureaplasma prior to laboratory culture in 70% of specimens. False-positive diagnoses were made in 19%. The diagnosis was false-negative in 11%.