Successful pregnancy and childbirth after intracytoplasmic sperm injection with calcium ionophore oocyte activation in a globozoospermic patient.

Objective: To check the effectiveness of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) combined with assisted oocyte activation (AOA) in a globozoospermic patient.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, Valencia, Spain.

Patient(s): A patient with globozoospermia.

Intervention(s): ICSI was administered in 14 oocytes. ICSI combined with AOA, in which a small amount of calcium was injected followed by calcium ionophore exposure, was done in 9 oocytes.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Fertilization rate and embryo quality was assessed in both groups.

Result(s): Chemical activation increased fertilization rate (55.6% vs. 35.7%) and the number of embryos with less multinucleation on day 2 (0 vs. 60%). Two embryos generated from AOA were transferred into the uterus (on day 3), resulting in a pregnancy and a healthy newborn.

Conclusion(s): The AOA with calcium ionophore treatment improved fertilization rate and quality of the embryos, and was found to be an effective method for AOA in this patient with a low fertilization rate after previous ICSI treatment.