ABSTRACT
No extensive studies were done that included the use of pentoxifylline or verify its effect on the outcome of ICSI in cases of mild and moderate asthenozoospermia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pentoxifylline used in preparation of semen samples which doesn't need motility enhancement prior to ICSI. The study was carried on 30 infertile patients where pentoxifylline was used for semen processing [group 1], another 30 patients without pentoxifylline [group 2] in addition to 60 infertile patients where crossing over of the semen sample was done further subdividing it into 2 subgroups in which the first half of the semen sample was incubated with pentoxifylline [group 3A] and the second half of the sample without pentoxifylline [group 3B]. The numbers of oocytes injected, numbers of oocytes fertilized, fertilization rate, the total numbers of embryos, numbers of good embryos and the numbers of embryos transferred of group 3A were found significantly higher than that of Group 3B [p=0.00]. The overall 6 month pregnancy rate of group 1 was significantly higher than that of group 2 [73.3% vs. 60% respectively, p=0.04]. The abortion rate of [Group 1] and that of [Group 2] was found non - significantly different [20% vs. 27.8% respectively, p=0.53]. Pentoxifylline can be used as a useful compound for improving ICSI outcome in semen samples preparation prior to oocytes injection regardless of the state of sperm motility or the degree of asthenozoospermia