Subfertility Flashcards
What is subfertility?
Inability to conceive after 1 year of unprotected intercourse
Primary = never been pregnant
Secondary - been pregnant before
Statistics of subfertility
80% couples conceive <12 months
90% within 2 years
10-15% British couples affected by subfertility
Fecundity (probability of conceiving each month) reduces with age
Causes of subfertility
Many couples have both M&F factors
15% idiopathic
Female factors of infertility
1) Tubal problems: 20%
- PID, ectopic, endometriosis
2) Chlamydia
- Can cause PID
3) Endometrioma
- Presence of endometrial tissue in and on ovary
- Affects 17-44% people with endometriosis
4) Fibroids
5) Polyps
- overgrowth of enometrial cells can cause infertility if they disrupt the uterine lining and impede implantation
6) Anovulation (25%)
- Ovaries do not release oocyte during mestrual cycle
7) Uterine anomalies - Congenital or acquired
- Failure of Mullerian duct fusion resulting in uterine malformations e/g/ bicornate uterus and uterine septum
- Ashermann’s syndrome
- Fibroids
8) Cervical anomalies - Infection, surgery
Categories of anovulation
WHO classifies anovulation based on serum gonadotrophin levels (FSH and LH)
WHO 1: hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism
- Causes amenorrhoea, low body weight, galactorrhoea
- Low FSH, low LH, low oestroadiol, high prolactin
- Due to inadequate GnRH secretion from pituitary or problem with hypothalamus
WHO 2: normogonadotrophic normoestrogenic
- Oligo or amenorrhoea, high body weight, hirsutism, acne
- Most common, most commonly due to PCOS
- Diagnosis according to revised Potter criteria: oligo/ anovulation, hyperandrogenism, PCOS on USS
- FSH and LH in normal range, high LF:FSH ratio, high testosterone
WHO 3: hypergonadotrophic hyperoestrogenic
- Usually an indication of ovarian failure, presents with hot flushes
- High LH, high FSH, low oestradiol, high TSH and low T4, Tuner’s syndrome, fragile X
Causes: genetic (Tuner’s), xRT, smoking
Most common cause of female infertility?
Anovulation - age and PCOS most common in UK
In the world it is tubal disease
Management of anovulation
WHO 1: weight gain, indice ovulation, treat prolactinoma with bromocriptine
WHO 2: lose weight, induce ovulation, ovarian drilling
WHO 3: HRR, donor oocytes needed if patient wants to undergo fertility treatment
What is a hysterosalpingogram?
Infection of radio opaque dye into cervix
Normal reult shows filling of uterine cavity and filling of fallopian tubes bilaterally
How can chlamydia cause infertility?
Infection can spread and cause PID
Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome can also occur where PID causes swelling of the tissue around the liver
Types of fibroids
Intramural: most common, inside muscle
Subserosal: outside womb into pelvis
Submucosal: grow into womb cavity
Submucosal fibroids can affect fertility but unlikey that subserosal will
Investigations for subfertility
General: BMI, signs of PCOS
Pelvic examination: massess, endometriosis (fixed + painful uterus), cervical smeal, chlamydia screen
Urinary LH: + test indicates imminent ovulation
Baseline (cycle day 2-5) hormone profile
Mid luteal progesterone to confirm ovulation
Secondary care: transvaginal USS to look for PCOS, fibrids, endometriomas
Hysterosalpingogram
Trend of male sperm over the last 50 years
Parameters have been declining over the last 50 years and sperm of aging men have serious health implications for children
Oxidative damage to sperm DNA
Increased neurological conditions: sutism, BPD
Cleft palate, diaphragmatic hernia, heart malformations
Terms used to describe sperm parameters
Aspermia = absence of sperm
Azoospermia = absence of sperm
Oligozoospermia = low sperm count
Asthenozoospermia = poor motility
Teratozoospermia = morphological defects
Causes of male subfertility
Semen abnormality = 85%
- low count, poor motility, morphological defects
- Testicular cancer, drugs/ alcohol, varicocele
Aspermia = 5%
- Pretesticular: anabolic steroid use, idiopathic hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, Kallman’s, pituitary adenoma
- Non-obstructive: cryptochordism, orchitis, Klienfelter’s, chemo, xRT
- Obstructive: congenital bilateral absence of vas def (CF), chlamydia, gonorrhoea
Immunological
- Antisperm antibodies/ infection
Cortical dysfunction
- Mechanical cause with normal sperm function e.g. hypospadias, phimosis, retrograde ejactulation, failure to ejactulate
Causes of retrograde ejaculation
DM, spinal cord injury, phenothiazines
What is Kartagener’s?
Rare, autosomal recessive genetic ciliary disorder comprising the triad of situs inversus, chronic sinusitis, and bronchiectasis
Consider in a patient with hx of sinusitis, ear infections and bronchitis
What is Klinefelter’s?
47 XXY
Males who have an additional copy of the X chromosome
Primary features = infertility
Can also cause less body hair, breast growth
Weak muscles as babies and children
Broader hips
Associated with learning difficulties
Treatment of male inferility
IVF/ ICSI
MESA: microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration
PESA: percutaenous
TESE: testicular sperm extraction
TESA: percutaneous testicular sperm aspiration
