Background: To evaluate predictive factors of successful microdissection-testicular
sperm extraction (MD-TESE) in patients with presumed Sertoli cell-only syndrome
(SCOS).
Materials and Methods: In this retrospective analysis, 874 men with non-obstructive
azoospermia (NOA), among whom 148 individuals with diagnosis of SCOS in prior
biopsy, underwent MD-TESE at Department of Andrology, Royan Institute, Tehran, Iran.
The predictive values of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH),
and testosterone (T) levels, testicular volume, as well as male age for retrieving testicular
sperm by MD-TESE were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis.
Results: Testicular sperm were successfully retrieved in 23.6% men with presumed
SCOS. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, it was shown that
sperm retrieval rate in the group of men with FSH values >15.25% was 28.9%. This was
higher than the group of men with FSH ≤15.25 (11.8%).
Conclusion: Sperm retrieval rate (SRR) was 23.6% in men with presumed SCOS and
FSH level can be a fair predictor for SPR at MD-TESE. MD-TESE appears to be recommendable
in such cases (SCOS with high FSH concentration) with reasonable results.
Keywords: Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Luteinizing Hormone, Sperm Retrieval, Azoospermia,
Nonobstructiv
