Ultrastructure of immature and mature human oocytes after cryotop vitrification.

In vitro maturation of vitrified immature germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes is a promising fertility preservation option. We analyzed the ultrastructure of human GV oocytes after Cryotop vitrification (GVv) and compared it with fresh GV (GVc), fresh mature metaphase II (MIIc) and Cryotop-vitrified mature (MIIv) oocytes. By phase contrast microscopy and light microscopy, the oolemmal and cytoplasmic organization of fresh and vitrified oocytes did not show significant changes.

Correlation between testicular parenchymal echogenicity and male infertility.

Objective: To verify the correlation between echogenicity of testicular parenchyma and male fertility parameters.

Materials And Methods: The study included 101 patients who referred to the urologists for couple infertility. Male patient underwent anamnestic assessment, physical examination, screening for hormonal serum levels (FSH, LH, testosterone, prolactine), sperm analysis, sperm culture and testicular ultrasound with registration of testicular volume and mean testicular echogenicity.

Intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection: a prospective randomized trial.

The aim of this prospective randomized study was to assess the advantages of a new modified intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) technique called intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI) over the conventional ICSI procedure in the treatment of patients with severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. The new procedure consisted of IMSI based on a preliminary motile sperm organellar morphology examination under x6600 high magnification. A total of 446 couples with at least two previous diagnoses of severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, 3 years of primary infertility, the woman aged 35 years or younger, and an undetected female factor were randomized to IVF micro-insemination treatments: ICSI (n = 219; group 1) and IMSI (n = 227; group 2).

Cryotop vitrification of human oocytes results in high survival rate and healthy deliveries.

Vitrification, an ultra-rapid cooling technique, offers a new perspective in attempts to develop an optimal cryopreservation procedure for human oocytes and embryos. To further evaluate this method for human oocytes, 796 mature oocytes (metaphase II) were collected from 120 volunteers. Since Italian legislation allows the fertilization of a maximum of only three oocytes per woman, there were 463 supernumerary oocytes; instead of being discarded, they were vitrified.