Azoospermia

Azoospermia is a complete absence of sperm cells in one’s semen. 
If one discovers a few single sperm cells after the semen’s centrifugation, this isn’t azoospermia, but cryptozoospermia. 

It is important to note that it’s not possible to diagnose azoospermia based on the external appearance of semen!  One should distinguish between azoospermia and aspermia, with the latter meaning having no ejaculation after an orgasm.  
 
Does azoospermia always signify complete sterility? 
- Not necessarily. First of all, one should determine what kind of azoospermia the patient has.  
 
Generally, there are two types of azoospermia: 
- Obstructive, characterized by the ejaculatory duct obstruction; 
- Non-obstructive, characterized by few sperm cells developing in the testicles. 
 
With the first type, sperm cells develop in the testicles but cannot be transported out of them. With the second type, sperm cells fail to develop at all, but there are still some areas in the testicles where singular sperm cells can be found.  
 
To determine the kind of azoospermia, one has to undergo a wide range of tests. However, it is not always possible to tell if the patient has obstructive or non-obstructive azoospermia.  
 
In most cases, patients with azoospermia will need to undergo an open testicular biopsy - it is a surgical extraction of sperm cells from the testicular tissue. 
 
The acquired sperm cells should be either applied in an IVF-ICSI cycle right away or cryopreserved (frozen). Surgical extraction of sperm cells from the testicular tissue for diagnostic purposes is strongly forbidden as it is not always possible to find new sperm cells during the following surgery.  
 
In Delta Fertility Clinic we treat patients with azoospermia: our specialist Dr. Karen Aloyan carries out an open testicular biopsy, and we have our own cryostorage (the place to store frozen semen). We offer all types of the assisted reproductive technologies treatment, including IVF+ICSI.