Assessment of serum follicle-stimulating hormone level and testicular volume for prediction of paternity potential in pubertal boys who underwent bilateral orchiopexy in childhood.

PURPOSE: We examined infertile adults for the presence of spermatozoa in the testes, serum FSH level and testicular volume to predict paternity potential in pubertal boys who had undergone bilateral orchiopexy in childhood.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

The study included 58 idiopathic infertile men (group 1), 14 infertile men who had undergone bilateral orchiopexy in childhood (group 2) and 21 pubertal boys who had undergone bilateral orchiopexy in childhood (group 3). We evaluated the correlation between FSH level and testicular volume in all groups. In groups 1 and 2 the testes were examined for the presence of spermatozoa using bilateral testicular biopsy samples.

RESULTS

Judging from the presence of spermatozoa in the testes and correlation between FSH level and testicular volume, 14 patients in group 1 (24%) were categorized as being at high risk, 32 (55%) at intermediate risk and 12 (21%) at low risk for loss of paternity potential, with spermatozoa positive rates of 0%, 49% and 100%, respectively. In comparison, 4 patients in group 2 (29%) were categorized as being at high risk, 7 (50%) at intermediate risk and 3 (21%) at low risk, with spermatozoa positive rates of 0%, 43% and 100%, respectively. According to this categorization, 19% of pubertal boys in group 3 were at high risk and may already have lost their paternity potential.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite bilateral orchiopexy in childhood, some male adolescents may not have the potential for paternity.