Acephalic spermatozoa and abnormal development of the head-neck attachment: a human syndrome of genetic origin.

A series of 10 young sterile men with acephalic spermatozoa or abnormal head-mid-piece attachments is presented. Nine of these patients had 75-100% spermatozoa with minute cephalic ends and 0-25% abnormal head-middle piece attachments. Loose heads ranged between 0-35 for each 100 spermatozoa and normal forms were rare.

Varicocele in prepubertal boys. Evaluation of clinical Doppler and hormonal findings.

Hormonal, clinical and scrotal Doppler findings were assessed in 16 prepubertal patients having unilateral varicocele. As already described in pubertal patients, Doppler studies made it possible to detect patterns of prolonged, intermittent or permanent reflux. An LH-RH test and an hCG test measuring LH, FSH and testosterone (T) were performed in all cases.

Pubertal varicocele: correlation between clinical, Doppler, and hormonal findings.

Clinical, Doppler, and hormonal findings in puberal patients with unilateral and bilateral varicocele were evaluated. No correlation was found between clinical and hormonal findings. A significant increase was found in LH response to LH-RH in patients with bilateral varicocele as well as an increase in T to hCG in those with unilateral varicocele with prolonged reflux.

Phagocytosis of ejaculated spermatozoa.

In patients with accessory gland infections or subjects who have sperm antibodies in their semen, the presence of macrophages with phagocytic activity on ejaculated spermatozoa is significant. Light microscopy cannot certify phagocytosis because it does not give a three-dimensional view of the cells and can lead one to mistake superficial adherence of the spermatozoa to the macrophage for phagocytic activity. For that reason, scanning electron microscopy was used in this study.

Dysplasia of the fibrous sheath: an ultrastructural defect of human spermatozoa associated with sperm immotility and primary sterility.

A study of a group of five patients presenting with primary sterility and showing severe sperm immotility is presented. Most spermatozoa in these patients showed rigid, short, thick, and/or irregular tails and 95 to 100% were immotile. Electron-microscopy disclosed a common pattern of flagellar abnormalities.