Scrotal Hyperthermia; Etiologic Factors: Facts and Hypotheses

Abstract

In animals, spermatogenesis was experimentally shown to be dependent on ambient (Cameron and Blackshaw, 1980), testicular (Keel and Abney, 1980) or scrotal (Malgrem and Larson, 1989) temperatures. In humans, occupational and living habits could influence semen quality apparently through scrotal insulation (Laven et al., 1988), as well as summer heat (Levine et al., 1988) or ambient temperature (Bornam et al., 1989). Alterations in spermatogenesis were reported to be associated with intrinsic scrotal hyperthermia (Zorgniotti and MacLeod, 1973; Mieusset et al., 1987, 1989; Zorgniotti and Sealfon, 1988). Avoidance of testicular hyperthermia, such as baths or tight clothing, was also reported to improve seminal characteristics (Lynch et al., 1986) and successful results were obtained in infertile men through chronic treatment with scrotal hypothermia (Zorgniotti et al., 1986).