Unusual association between testicular tuberculosis and microdeletion of the Y chromosome in an infertile patient with azoospermia.

INTRODUCTION

and importance: Infertility affects approximately 10-15% of couples worldwide. Several causes are incriminated such as hormonal abnormalities, infections, genetic disorders, testicular cancer, varicocele, and others. Herein, we report a case of an unusual association between testicular tuberculosis and microdeletion of the Y chromosome in an infertile patient and we discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 36-year-old patient, a smoker, with no previous history consulted our department for primary infertility for 2 years. The clinical examination was normal. The sperm count showed azoospermia. karyotype analysis confirmed the diagnosis of a microdeletion of the Y chromosome. A testicular biopsy was performed. The microscopic analysis did not find any sperm cells. However, the histopathological examination was in favor of testicular TB. The patient received 6 months of anti-TB treatment. He remained azoospermic.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Azoospermia is defined as the absence of sperm in the ejaculate in two different samples. This condition is classified as obstructive and non-obstructive. The etiology of this condition is either an intrinsic testicular deficiency or an insufficient production of gonadotropins. Genetic and chromosomal abnormalities should be investigated due to the higher incidence in azoospermic patients compared to the normal population. Testicular causes are dominated by infections, trauma, ischemia, and iatrogenic causes such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Genetic causes are dominated by Klinefelter syndrome and Y-chromosome microdeletions.

CONCLUSION

Azoospermia is a frequent cause of male infertility. Several causes are incriminated such as hormonal abnormalities, infections, genetic disorders, and others. In some cases, this condition can be multifactorial.