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Semen quality and gonadotropin levels in patients operated upon for cryptorchidism

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Abstract

In a long-term follow-up study we compared preoperative testicular position, age at orchiopexy, and morphology of testicular biopsies investigated at orchiopexy to sperm analysis results, testicular volume, and serum follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels at follow-up in 46 men with a history of surgical correction of cryptorchidism in childhood. They had undergone orchiopexy at age 1.5–12.0 years, 24 for unilateral and 22 for bilateral cryptorchidism. Eleven (46%) of the 24 patients with unilateral and 7 (32%) of the 22 with bilateral undescended testes had a normal sperm analysis, whereas in men with impaired spermiogenesis oligo-asthenozoospermia was the predominant feature. Three (13.6%) patients with bilateral cryptorchidism showed azoospermia, but none of the patients with unilateral cryptorchidism did. Neither the age at orchiopexy nor the average germ-cell count per cross-sectioned seminiferous tubule of testicular biopsies examined at orchiopexy correlated significantly with subsequent sperm analysis results or gonadotropin levels at follow-up. The pretreatment testicular position (“testicular position value”) has a high prognostic value for prediction of subsequent sperm analysis results and serum gonadotropin levels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 34, A-8036, Graz, Austria

    J. Mayr, G. Schimpl, T. Reitinger & M. Mayr-Koci

  2. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 34, A-8036, Graz, Austria

    H. H. Pusch

  3. Department of Pediatric Radiology, University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 34, A-8036, Graz, Austria

    E. Sorantin

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  1. J. Mayr
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  2. H. H. Pusch
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  3. G. Schimpl
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  4. T. Reitinger
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  5. E. Sorantin
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  6. M. Mayr-Koci
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Mayr, J., Pusch, H.H., Schimpl, G. et al. Semen quality and gonadotropin levels in patients operated upon for cryptorchidism. Pediatr Surg Int 11, 354–358 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00497811

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