Comparison of the fertilization rate after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using ejaculated sperms, epididymal sperms and testicular sperms

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has been successfully used to achieve fertilization and pregnancies for patients with extreme oligoastheno-zoospermia using ejaculated sperms or patients with azoospermia using epididymal or testicular sperms. The aim of this study was to compare the fertilization rate after ICSI using ejaculated, epididymal and testicular sperms. Between January and September 1997, 10 azoospermic men underwent percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) or testicular sperm extraction (TESE) to recover sperm for ICSI. A total of 5 PESA cases and 5 TESE cases were performed at the Center for Assisted Reproduction & Embryology. Thirty-one patients performed ICSI using ejaculated sperms during the same period of time were used as a control group. ICSI using ejaculated sperms, epididymal sperms from PESA and testicular sperms from TESE was a highly successful technique, achieving fertilization rates of 78.5 per cent, 83.3 per cent and 80.8 per cent, respectively. Good fertilization rates were achieved without significant differences among the various sperm sources.