Follicle-stimulating hormone treatment for male factor infertility.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) treatment has been proven effective in stimulating spermatogenesis and improving the reproductive ability of men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, while the usefulness of such a treatment in infertile patients with normal pituitary function is restricted to a subgroup of responders that, however, cannot be identified by the current diagnostic tools before treatment. In this review we summarize the role played by FSH in the modulation of spermatogenesis, the effect of FSH treatment at a standard replacement dose and at higher dose on sperm parameters, spontaneous and in vitro fertilization pregnancy rates, and the efforts made to identify possible responders to FSH treatment.

Microsurgical varicocele ligation: surgical methodology and associated outcomes.

The impact of clinical varicoceles on semen parameters and male infertility has long been established. In the era of assisted reproduction, clinical discussion has questioned the role of varicocelectomy, offering the potential to bypass, rather than treat, varicocele-associated male infertility. However, current literature supports improved semen parameters and reproductive outcomes following repair. This article presents the stepwise operative approaches to microsurgical varicocelectomy and discusses the recent publications on outcomes.

A novel method to determine perineal artery occlusion among male bicyclists.

Background. Perineal pressure due to bicycle riding has been associated with erectile dysfunction. We developed a novel method to measure the occlusive force exerted over the perineal arteries and determined perineal artery occlusion by a variety of seat designs. Methods. Doppler ultrasonography facilitated perineal artery localization and determination of the force required for perineal artery occlusion in 20 healthy men. Flexiforce(®) sensors were affixed over the proximal and distal aspects of the perineal arteries bilaterally. Individuals completed bicycle rides in the road- and stationary-settings with six distinct seat designs, including those with and without an anterior "nose." Results. The occlusion time proportion of the total ride time was calculated for each trial. The overall occlusion time proportion was 0.59 (95% CI [0.45-0.73]) across all seats and settings. The "no-nose" bicycle seat and the stationary-setting demonstrated significantly lower occlusion proportion times than the traditional nose bicycle seat and road-setting, respectively. However, all bicycle seats yielded an occlusion time proportion of 0.41 or greater. Discussion. Our method of real-time, non-invasive force measurement localized to the perineal arteries may be used to validate future bicycle seat design. It also underscores the significant risk of perineal artery insufficiency in men who are avid bicyclists. This risk may be minimized by using newer "no-nose" bicycle seats.

Device and method to determine perineal artery occlusion during road bicycling.

Greater than 60 million American men who ride bicycles are at risk of developing erectile dysfunction. One possible reason is occlusion of the perineal arteries. Researchers relied on indirect methods and stationary models to study this problem. We developed a novel system to quantify occlusion among bicycle riders during a road bike ride. Our verification and validation activities show that this system can be safely used on human subjects to measure perineal artery occlusion. The method described in this paper provides a valuable tool to the researchers to study or to develop new solutions that alleviate this problem. The outcomes of these efforts will help millions of cyclists worldwide.

Male factor assessment in infertility.

Male infertility assessment is more than a semen analysis. By interpreting a semen analysis, clinicians recognize its uses and limitations. Once understood, clinicians can then apply modern techniques of endocrine and radiologic evaluation to diagnosis of male reproductive dysfunction. It is important to identify patients with infertility not only to allow reproductive potential but also to identify a population susceptible to future disease states.

Validation of a prognostic calculator for prediction of early vesicoureteral reflux resolution in children.

PURPOSE: Treatment of vesicoureteral reflux with observation or surgery is based on a number of clinical variables. We developed a prognostic calculator to predict spontaneous resolution using a computational model. External validation of the computational model is crucial for wide application in clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the records of 82 Japanese children with primary vesicoureteral reflux with resolution status known at 2 years after diagnosis. Clinical data were input into the online prognostic calculator. Prognostic accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated by comparing the predicted and actual clinical results. Clinical parameters were compared to determine the characteristics of cases in which the computational model failed to predict the reflux outcome. RESULTS: The 2-year resolution rate was 49% (40 of 82 patients). Of the cases 42 (51%) were predicted to resolve and 40 (49%) not to resolve by the prognostic calculator. Overall accuracy of the prognostic calculator was 80.5%, with the prediction accurate in 66 patients and inaccurate in 16. Sensitivity for spontaneous resolution was 82.5% and specificity was 78.6%. Positive predictive value was 78.6% and negative predictive value was 82.5%. The ROC for this calculator was 0.793. Mean age in the 16 cases that were inaccurately predicted (4.96 years) was significantly higher than in the 66 that were accurately predicted (3.00, p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The prognostic calculator was 80.5% accurate at predicting reflux resolution and was more accurate in younger children. This calculator can be widely applied for many patients with reflux.

Adding renal scan data improves the accuracy of a computational model to predict vesicoureteral reflux resolution.

PURPOSE: We previously developed a computational model to predict vesicoureteral reflux resolution 1 and 2 years after diagnosis. Previous studies suggest that an abnormal renal scan may be a predictor of the failure of vesicoureteral reflux to resolve. We investigated whether the addition of renal scan data would improve the accuracy of our computational model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records and renal scans were reviewed on 161 children, including 127 girls and 34 boys, with primary reflux between 1988 and 2004. In addition to the 9 input variables from our prior model, we added renal scan data on decreased relative renal function (40% or less in the refluxing kidney) and renal scars. Resolution outcome was evaluated 1 and 2 years after diagnosis. Data sets were prepared for 1 and 2-year outcomes, and randomized into a modeling set of 111 and a cross-validation set of 50. The model was constructed using neUROn++. RESULTS: A logistic regression model had the best fit with an ROC area of 0.945 for predicting reflux resolution in the 2-year model. This was improved compared to our previous model without renal scan data. A prognostic calculator using this model can be deployed for availability on the Internet, allowing input variables to be entered and calculating the odds of resolution. CONCLUSIONS: This computational model uses multiple variables, including renal scan data, to improve individualized prediction of early reflux resolution with almost 95% accuracy. The prognostic calculator is a useful tool for predicting individualized vesicoureteral reflux resolution.

Hormonal evaluation of the infertile male: has it evolved?

An endocrinologic evaluation of patients who have male-factor infertility has clearly evolved and leads to specific diagnoses and treatment strategies in a large population of infertile men. A well-considered endocrine evaluation is especially essential with the ever-growing popularity of assisted reproductive techniques and continued refinements with intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Depression and erectile dysfunction.

Depression and erectile dysfunction (ED) clearly are associated. Although urologists and psychiatrists have long recognized that antidepressant medications affect erectile function negatively, the interplay between the two conditions remains underappreciated. Psychiatrists may be reluctant to question a patient in detail about ED, and urologists seldom perform a formal assessment of the presence of depression in patients who have ED. This article gives a quick overview of the relationship between these two conditions and provides the clinician with the knowledge required to effectively manage ED with comorbid depression.

Therapeutic testis biopsy for sperm retrieval.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The introduction of IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection revolutionized the treatment of male infertility by requiring a minimal number of sperm to achieve pregnancy. We describe the various methods for testicular sperm retrieval in different types of azoospermia. RECENT FINDINGS: Different techniques for surgical sperm retrieval are available, including testicular sperm aspiration, single, multisite and microdissection testicular sperm extraction, as well as percutaneous and microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration. While these methods have similar retrieval outcomes in obstructive azoospermia, testicular sperm extraction procedures appear to be more beneficial in cases of nonobstructive azoospermia. A reliable algorithm for predicting the outcome of microdissection testicular sperm extraction using clinical parameters is still lacking, and may be difficult to develop, given the fact that this method is designed to detect and sample even minute areas of focal spermatogenesis. SUMMARY: A variety of surgical sperm retrieval procedures can be performed for the purpose of subsequent or simultaneous IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The decision regarding the type of procedure should be based on the type of azoospermia, specific clinical circumstances, as well as on the surgeon's preference and experience.

Computational model for predicting the chance of early resolution in children with vesicoureteral reflux.

PURPOSE: Minimally invasive treatment options and concern regarding long-term antibiotics have increased emphasis on predicting the chance of early vesicoureteral reflux resolution. Computational models, such as artificial neural networks, have been used to assist decision making in the clinical setting using complex numeric constructs to solve multivariable problems. We investigated various computational models to enhance the prediction of vesicoureteral reflux resolution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the records of 205 children with vesicoureteral reflux, including 163 females and 42 males. In addition to reflux grade, several clinical variables were recorded from the diagnostic visit. Outcome was noted as resolved or unresolved at 1 and 2 years after diagnosis. Two separate data sets were prepared for the 1 and 2-year outcomes, sharing the same input features. The data sets were randomized into a modeling set of 155 and a cross-validation set of 50. The model was constructed with several constructs using neUROn++, a set of C++ programs that we developed, to best fit the data. RESULTS: A linear support vector machine was found to have the highest accuracy with a test set ROC curve area of 0.819 and 0.86 for the 1 and 2-year models, respectively. The model was deployed in JavaScript for ready availability on the Internet, allowing all input variables to be entered and calculating the odds of 1 and 2-year resolution. CONCLUSIONS: This computational model allowed the use of multiple variables to improve the individualized prediction of early reflux resolution. This is a potentially useful clinical tool regarding treatment decisions for vesicoureteral reflux.