Role of testicular biopsy in the evaluation of azoospermic men

A total of 67 infertile men with azoospermia were studied over 5 years period [February 1997-March 2002]. Their mean age was 33 years and mean duration of infertility was 6 years. They underwent bilateral testicular biopsy under general anaesthesia and the specimens were categorizwd according to histopathological patterns. These included normal spermatgenesis 12 [17.9%]; hypospermatogenesis 4 [5.9%]; spermatogenic arrest 39 [58.2%]; sertoli cell only 7 [10.4%]; and complete tubular hyalinization 5 [7.4%]. This study highlights the role of testicular biopsy as a reliable and useful technique for the investigation of patients with azoospermia