Cheng LG, Miller D, Pelzman D, Wecht A, Hwang K. High rate of isolated teratospermia in a population of fertile men and the questionable clinical utility of sperm morphology.
F S Rep 2024;
5:140-144. [PMID:
38983740 PMCID:
PMC11228780 DOI:
10.1016/j.xfre.2024.01.002]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective
To better understand the impact of sperm morphology on fertility by assessing sperm morphology in a population of known fertile men.
Design
A prospective cohort study.
Setting
Fertility center associated with the university.
Patients
Healthy men >18 years of age were recruited to provide one semen sample before a vasectomy appointment scheduled between March 2020 and November 2022. Patients were included in the study when they had at least one biologic child and no history of difficulty achieving pregnancy or fertility procedures.
Interventions
None.
Main Outcome Measures
Sperm morphology.
Results
A total of 68 patients (mean age 36.7 years) were included. Thirty-eight (55.9%) patients had 3% or lower normal sperm morphology, including two patients who had 0 normal morphology. The most common morphologic abnormalities were head-shaped defects (n = 59, 84.3%), followed by coiled tails (n = 14, 20.3%). Count, concentration, motility, and progressive motility were normal in >90% of patients.
Conclusions
More than half (55.9%) of fertile male patients had lower than normal sperm morphology in our study. The results of our study further question the clinical relevance of sperm morphology on fertility outcomes and when the current approach in assessing morphology is too strict.
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