Objective: To evaluate the level of serum FSH as a predictor of the success of microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) in men with non-obstructive azoospermia.
Design: Clinical prospective study.
Setting: South Valley University Hospitals.
Patient(s): Twenty men with non-obstructive azoospermia.
Intervention(s):Serum FSH measurement and Micro-TESE.
Main Outcome Measure(s): Sperm retrieval.
Result(s): Testicular sperm were successfully retrieved in 60% of the men. Sperm retrieval rates in the groups of
men with FSH values 15–30, 31–45, and >45 IU/mL was 60%, 67%, and 60% respectively; this was higher than
the group of men with FSH < 15 (51%).
Conclusion(s): The chances of sperm retrieval using micro-TESE is just as common, if not better for men with elevated FSH levels than for men with lower FSH. High FSH is not a contraindication
for micro-TESE.