Computer Aided Sperm Analysis, a useful tool to evaluate patient’s response to varicocelectomy

Julia I Ariagno, Gabriela R Mendeluk, María J Furlan, M Sardi, P Chenlo, Susana M Curi, Mercedes N Pugliese, Herberto E Repetto, Mariano Cohen

Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Laboratorio de Fertilidad Masculina, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires (CP1120), Argentina; Departamento de Urologia, Hospital de Clinicas “José de San Martín”, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires (CP 1120), Argentina

Pre-operative and post-operative sperm parameter values from infertile men with varicocele were analysed by computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) to assess if sperm characteristics improved after varicocelectomy. Semen samples of men with proven fertility (n = 38) and men with varicocele-related infertility (n = 61) were also analysed. Conventional semen analysis was performed according to WHO (2010) criteria and a CASA system was employed to assess kinetic parameters and sperm concentration. Seminal parameters values in the fertile group were very far above from those of the patients, either before or after surgery. No significant improvement in the percentage normal sperm morphology (p=0.10), sperm concentration (p = 0.52), total sperm count (p = 0.76), subjective motility (%) (p = 0.97) nor kinematics (p = 0.30) was observed after varicocelectomy when all groups were compared. Neither was significant improvement found in percentage normal sperm morphology (p = 0.91), sperm concentration (p = 0.10), total sperm count (p = 0.89) or percentage motility (p = 0.77) after varicocelectomy in paired comparisons of pre-operative and post-operative data. Analysis of paired samples revealed that the total sperm count (0.01) and most sperm kinetic parameters: curvilinear velocity (p = 0.002), straight-line velocity (p = 0.0004), average path velocity (p = 0.0005), linearity (p = 0.02), and wobble (p = 0.006) improved after surgery. CASA offers the potential for accurate quantitative assessment of each patient’s response to varicocelectomy.

Asian Journal of Andrology.
Manuscript ID: AJA-5138