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Fertilization after intracytoplasmic sperm injection with cryopreserved testicular spermatozoa
J Romero1, J Remohí, Y Mínguez
1Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad and Facultad de Medicina, University of Valencia, Spain.
Objective:
To assess the possibility of cryopreserving testicular tissue extracted sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Design:
A report of two cases. Our study was approved by the Ethical Committee at the Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad.
Setting:
In vitro fertilization program at the Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad.
Patients:
Two azoospermic patients with severe spermatogenic failure but with focal spermatogenesis on testicular biopsies. In both cases, a first ICSI attempt with fresh testicular biopsy extracted sperm was unsuccessful.
Interventions:
Cryopreservation of testicular spermatozoa in 100-micro L "pills." Intracytoplasmic sperm injection with thawed testicular spermatozoa.
Main Outcome Measurements:
Fertilization rate, cleavage rate, embryo quality, clinical pregnancy.
Results:
Fertilization rates were 36 percent and 100 percent after ICSI with fresh testicular spermatozoa, and 63 percent and 57 percent after ICSI with cryopreserved testicular sperm. In both cases, cleavage rates and embryo quality were similar when using fresh and cryopreserved testicular spermatozoa. No clinical pregnancies were achieved.
Conclusion:
High fertilization rates can be obtained after ICSI with frozen-thawed testicular tissue extracted spermatozoa. Cryopreservation of testicular sperm may avoid repetition of testicular biopsies in azoospermic patients in whom the only source of spermatozoa is the testicle.