Study of aneuploidy in large-headed, multiple-tailed spermatozoa: case report and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the meiotic segregation in large-headed, multiple-tailed spermatozoa.

DESIGN

Analysis of sperm nuclei by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENT(S): A 34-year-old man with 100% morphologically abnormal spermatozoa.

INTERVENTION(S): Dual-color FISH for chromosomes 13 and 21 and triple-color FISH for chromosomes X, Y, and 18 were performed.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Aneuploidy rates.

RESULT(S): More than 99% of the spermatozoa had abnormal content for chromosomes X, Y, 13, 18, and 21. Diploidy, triploidy, and tetraploidy rates were found to be 18.42%, 6.14%, and 33.99% in triple-color FISH and to be 16.09%, 16.28%, and 38.95% in dual-color FISH.

CONCLUSION(S): Our results and those from other investigators show that large-headed, multiple-tailed spermatozoa are associated with a high rate of polyploidy and aneuploidy. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection should not be recommended to those patients, not only because of its low success rate but also because of its high genetic risk.