11/16- Evaluation of Male Infertility Flashcards
Describe basic male anatomy and sperm transport
- Seminiferous tubules within the testis
- Sperm made in testicle, stored in epididymus
- Travel through vas deferens, through prostate into urethra
What is seen here?
Spermatogenesis occurring in seminiferous tubule
Describe the process of spermatogenesis
- Spermatogonia (46chrom)
- (mitosis)
- Primary spermatocytes
- (meiosis)
- Secondary spermatocytes (2)
- (divides)
- Spermatids (4)
- Develop flagella to become mature sperm cells with 23 chromosomes
What is the vas deferens?
- Function
- Tubular structure, 30 cm
- Connects tail of the epididymis to the ejaculatory ducts
- Muscular; contraction with ejaculation propels sperm forward into posterior urethra
What are the seminal vesicles?
- Function
- Paired structures behind prostate and under bladder, 6cm in length
- Joins up with vas deferens to form the ejaculatory ducts
- Produces 70% of ejaculatory volume- alkaline fluid rich in fructose; pH 7.4-7.8
What are the ejaculatory ducts?
- Function
- Paired structures; form confluence of seminal vesicles and vas deferens
- Travel through prostate and exit at verumontanum
- Prevent reflux of fluid back into vas and seminal vesicle
Describe the male hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis
- GnRH causes release of FSH and LH
- FSH stimulates Sertoli cells
- Produce inhibin to shut down anterior pituitary
- LH stimulates Leydig cells
- Produce testosterone to shut down anterior pituitary and hypothalamus
- Exogenous testosterone shuts down FSH and LH production (how testosterone is a male contraceptive)
What is the definition of male infertility?
Inability to conceive via unprotected natural intercourse over 12 months
- (12 months is the time it takes 90-95% of normal, fertile couples to conceive)
What is the most common cause of male infertility?
Varicocele: enlargement of venous drainage of pampiniform plexus (draining the testis)
Is male or female infertility more common?
- Female (50%)
- Male (30%)
- Combined (20%)
What are the etiologies of male infertility?
- Varicocele (35%)
- Idiopathic (25%)
- Infection of GU tract (10%)
- Genetic (10%)
- Endocrine
- Immunologic
- Obstruction
- Developmental
- Lifestyle: smoking, diet, heat…
What are the grades of a varicocele?
- Palpable with valsalva
- Palpable without valsalva
- Visible at rest
How does a varicocele contribute to infertility?
What else could it cause?
Varicocele causes increased temperature of the testicle (pooling of blood)
Can lead to:
- Testicular atrophy
- Decreased sperm counts
Which side is a varicocele more common on? Why?
Left - Vein crosses L renal vein??
What provides arterial supply for the testis? Sources of the arteries?
- Aorta -> Gonadal -> Testicular
- Internal iliac -> Inferior vesical -> Deferential
- External iliac -> Inferior epigastric -> Cremasteric
What provides venous drainage of the testis? Destination?
Internal spermatic -> IVC / Left renal vein
Deferential -> Superior vesical v. -> Hypogastric v.
External spermatic (cremasteric) -> Pudendal v. -> Saphenous v.
What is the epididymis?
- Where is it
- Connections
- Function
- Posterolateral to testis
- Connected to testicle by efferent ducts
- 3 parts:
- head (caput)
- body (corpus)
- tail (cauda)
- Central role in sperm maturation (mobility and fertilizing capacity)
What is seen here?
Epididymitis- inflammation of epididymis
Describe prostatitis
- Acute or chronic
- Symptoms
- Cause
- Treatment
- Acute or chronic
- Symptoms: asymptomatic to severe irritative / systemic symptoms
- Cause: Bacterial or Non-bacterial
- Treatment:
- antibiotics
- anti-inflammatories
- warm baths
- pelvic floor relaxation
What are some genetic causes of abnormal sperm development?
- Klinefelters (XXY)
- Y chromosome microdeletions
- Prune belly Sx
- Kartageners syndrome
What are some endocrine causes of pre-testicular failure?
Hypothalamic:
- Congenital
- Kallman’s syndrome
Primary pituitary problem
- Pituitary adenoma
Describe Kallman’s syndrome
- Inheritance pattern
- Gene mutation involved
- Other symptoms
- X linked
- Deletion of KAL-1 gene
- Anosmia, no GnRH production
Describe pituitary adenoma
- Other symptom
- Lab values
- Visual field changes, headache
- Elevated prolactin -> prolactinoma
Where could obstruction occur to cause infertility?
- Examples
- Seminiferous tubules (adrenal rests)
- Epididymis (previous surgery, infection
- Vas deferens (vasectomy, congenital absence of vas deferens)
- Ejaculatory duct (prostatic cyst, stones, stenosis)
What is seen here?
Vasogram ?
What is CBAVD?
- Associations
Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens
- Congenital absence of all or part of vas deferens and epididymis
Associated with cystic fibrosis
- Almost all patients with CF have CBAVD
- Most patients with CBAVD are at least carriers of CFTR mutations
What is a spermatocele?
- Cystic fluid collection connected to epididymis
- Contains dead sperm
What is seen here?
Transrectal US (TRUS)
- Left: ejaculatory duct stones
- Right: seminal vesicle dilation