Update on the Management of Non-Obstructive Azoospermia: Current Evidence and Unmet Needs

Ettore Caroppo,Giovanni M Colpi

doi:10.3390/jcm11010062

Abstract

Azoospermia, defined as the absence of sperm in the ejaculate after examination of the centrifuged specimens, affects about 1% of the male population and 10-15% of infertile men [...].

Highlights

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
In about two-thirds of cases, this is caused by severe spermatogenic dysfunction [1], and it is commonly termed “nonobstructive azoospermia” (NOA) to differentiate it from the less severe form of azoospermia caused by the obstruction of the seminal tract; the latter affects the remaining one-third of cases
The differential diagnosis between OA and NOA is mandatory for the correct management of patients; men with OA have intact spermatogenesis, so that sperm may be surgically retrieved in the vast majority of cases by means of minimally invasive techniques [2]

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Managing patients with NOA is challenging due to the severity of spermatogenic dysfunction and the lack of medical treatments, with surgical retrieval of testicular sperm being the only way of enabling some of these patients to father their own biological children.

Results

Conclusion