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Ejaculatory Dysfunction: Retrograde Ejaculation

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The Diagnosis and Treatment of Male Infertility

Abstract

Retrograde ejaculation is a relatively rare cause of male infertility. Yet, as one of the few pathologies in male infertility that can in some cases be successfully treated with medications, it is important for the clinician to be able to diagnose and treat this entity. Recent studies have demonstrated findings pertaining to the cause and mechanism of retrograde ejaculation that run contrary to classical teaching. This chapter will examine these findings and review the causes, workup, diagnosis, and treatment for retrograde ejaculation. A clinical vignette of a common presentation of retrograde ejaculation is presented and workup, diagnosis, and treatment are discussed.

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Shen, J.K., Cheriyan, S.K., Ko, E.Y. (2017). Ejaculatory Dysfunction: Retrograde Ejaculation. In: Aziz, N., Agarwal, A. (eds) The Diagnosis and Treatment of Male Infertility. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56547-7_7

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