Abstract
To assess the role of power and color Doppler ultrasonography (US) in patients with azoospermia prior to testicular sperm extraction. One hundred and thirty consecutive patients with azoospermia were assessed in this prospective study. Based on a semiquantitative method, the results of power Doppler US were graded into three categories: grade 1, no visible vessels; grade 2, between one and three detectable vessels; grade 3, more than three detectable vessels. The location of each visible vessel was also recorded as upper, middle or lower third of the testis. Seventy-four patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) and 27 with obstructive azoospermia (OA) fulfilled the study criteria. OA patients revealed a significantly higher intratesticular perfusion compared with NOA patients. NOA patients with higher intratesticular perfusion required fewer biopsies for successful sperm retrieval. Moreover, a correlation was noted between the presence of visible vessels in each segment and the probability of successful sperm retrieval during biopsy from the corresponding segment. Our data indicate that a semiquantitative, simplified power Doppler US assessment is capable of localizing areas containing viable sperm with the potential to direct biopsies to specific sites and subsequent decrease in the number of required biopsies.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
