Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-dnltx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T10:37:45.649Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 10 - Office evaluation of the subfertile male

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 May 2010

Larry I. Lipshultz
Affiliation:
Baylor College of Medicine
Stuart S. Howards
Affiliation:
University of Virginia
Craig S. Niederberger
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Chicago
Get access

Summary

Infertility is due to a significant male factor alone, whereas combined male and female factors are present in an additional 20%. Thus, a male factor is involved in approximately 50% of infertile relationships. The primary goals of the evaluation of the male presenting with infertility are to identify: etiologic conditions, irreversible conditions, irreversible conditions not amenable to assisted reproductive techniques, medically significant pathologies, and genetic etiologies. Bilateral cryptorchidism results in a significant decrease in spermatogenesis, while the effect of unilateral cryptorchidism appears to be much milder. Approximately 50% of testicular cancer patients have subnormal sperm densities prior to chemotherapy. Of note, of those with oligo- or azoospermia, 75% normalized during surveillance. Diethylstilbestrol (DES) was given to pregnant women in the 1950s, and reports of epididymal cysts and cryptorchidism in males with prenatal DES exposure have raised concerns about effects on fertility. Exogenous androgens are well known to induce hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.
Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×