ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the value and clinical application of the Three-Step Sperm Retrieval method in improving the sperm retrieval rate for non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy-three NOA patients underwent Three-Step Sperm Retrieval in the following order of procedures: testicular fine needle aspiration (TFNA), testicular sperm extraction (TSE), and microdissection testicular sperm extraction (MD-TSE). The testicular tissue obtained from each step was observed for spermatozoa under the 400-fold inverted microscope. If spermatozoa were found in one step, the operation would be stopped; otherwise, the next step would be carried out. The testicular tissue was subjected to pathological examination.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Spermatozoa was found in the testicular tissue in 38.4% of the cases (28/73) at TFNA as the first step, in 52.1% (38/73) at TFNA and TSE, and in 64.4% (47/73) at TFNA, TSE and MD-TSE. Pathological examination showed 25 of the cases to be Sertoli cell-only syndrome, 21 to be sperm maturation arrest and the other 27 to be hypospermatogenesis, in which spermatozoa were found in 10, 14 and 23 cases, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Three-Step Sperm Retrieval method can significantly improve the sperm retrieval rate for NOA patients. And the sperm retrieval rate is associated with the pathological type of the testicular tissue, a higher rate with hypospermatogenesis.</p>