Non-obstructive azoospermia: current and future perspectives.
File(s)
Author(s)
Tharakan, Tharu
Luo, Rong
Jayasena, Channa N
Minhas, Suks
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Infertility affects 1 in 6 couples, and male factor infertility has been implicated as a cause in 50% of cases. Azoospermia is defined as the absence of spermatozoa in the ejaculate and is considered the most extreme form of male factor infertility. Historically, these men were considered sterile but, with the advent of testicular sperm extraction and assisted reproductive technologies, men with azoospermia are able to biologically father their own children. Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) occurs when there is an impairment to spermatogenesis. This review describes the contemporary management of NOA and discusses the role of hormone stimulation therapy, surgical and embryological factors, and novel technologies such as proteomics, genomics, and artificial intelligence systems in the diagnosis and treatment of men with NOA. Moreover, we highlight that men with NOA represent a vulnerable population with an increased risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular comorbodities.
Date Issued
2021-01-26
Date Acceptance
2021-01-01
Citation
Faculty Reviews, 2021, 10 (7), pp.1-12
ISSN
2732-432X
Publisher
Faculty Opinions
Start Page
1
End Page
12
Journal / Book Title
Faculty Reviews
Volume
10
Issue
7
Copyright Statement
© 2021 Tharakan T et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproductison in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproductison in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33659925
Subjects
Male infertility
artificial intelligence
azoospermia
genetics
sperm retrieval
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
England
Date Publish Online
2021-01-26