| Anti-sperm Antibodies |
antibodies found in men or women which
impair the function of sperm. |
| ART |
stands for Assisted Reproductive
Technology; The process of producing a pregnancy by fertilizing an
ovum outside the female and emplaning the fertilized embryos. |
| Azoospermia |
complete absence of sperm from the
semen. |
| Cryopreservation |
a method of sperm preservation for
later use. |
| Cystoscopy |
an internal examination of the
urinary bladder usually performed under local anesthesia in
the office. Commonly performed to evaluate patients with blood
in the urine, difficulty with urination, or a history of
bladder cancer. |
| Dihydrotestosterone |
a potent male hormone derived
from the conversion of testosterone by an enzyme known as
5-alpha-reductase. Dihydrotestosterone is primarily
responsible for the development of BPH. |
| DRE |
stands for digital rectal
examination. Palpation of the prostate usually recommended
for all men annually beginning at age 50. |
| Ejaculatory Duct |
a small tube found in the
prostate formed by the union of the vas deferens and
seminal vesicles. The ejaculatory duct travels through
the prostate into the urethra. |
| Epididymis |
a delicate convoluted
tubule with an inner diameter of 0.2 mm connecting the
semeniferous tubules of the testis with the lower end
of the vas deferens. If the epididymal tubule were
straight it would be 14 ft. long, but it is folded on
itself and extends only the length of the testicle. |
| Follicle Stimulating
Hormone (FSH) |
a hormone secreted into
the blood stream from the pituitary gland which
stimulates the production of sperm within the
semeniferous tubules of the testicles. |
| Infertility |
the inability to
conceive after one year of unprotected
intercourse. |
| Intracytoplasmic
Sperm Injection |
a technique of
assisted reproduction in which an ovum is
fertilized by injecting a single sperm using
micro puncture techniques. |
| Leydig Cells |
cells within the
semeniferous tubules of the testicles which
produce testosterone. |
| Luteinizing
Hormone (LH) |
a hormone
secreted into the blood stream from the
pituitary gland which stimulates the
production of testosterone by the leydig
cells of the testicles. |
| MESA
(Micro-epididymal Sperm Aspiration) |
the technique
of obtaining sperm surgically from an
epididymal tubule using an operating
microscope. The sperm are then usually
used for Intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
|
|
Oligospermia |
a sperm
concentration in the semen of less than
20 million per cc. |
|
Patency Rate |
the
percentage of men who experience
return of sperm to the ejaculate
following a vasectomy reversal. |
| PESA
(Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm
Aspiration) |
the
technique of obtaining sperm
‘non-surgically’ by withdrawing them
through a fine needle placed through
the scrotal skin into the epididymis. |
|
Pituitary Gland |
a
gland located in the brain which
is responsible for the production
of a number of hormones, two of
which, LH and FSH, play an
important role in maintaining
normal fertility. |
|
Post-coital Test |
a
test of the interaction of sperm
and cervical mucus. The
post-coital test is performed by
examining the cervical mucus
under a microscope following
sexual intercourse. |
|
Pregnancy Rate |
the percentage of women who
achieve a pregnancy after a
vasectomy reversal has been
performed in their spouses. |
|
Semeniferous Tubules |
the microscopic tubules in
the testicles in which sperm
are produced. |
|
Sperm Granuloma |
scar tissue in the
epididymis caused by
leakage of sperm and
resulting in obstruction
of the flow of sperm
through the epididymis; a
"blowout." |
|
TESA (Testicular
Sperm Aspiration) |
the technique of
obtaining sperm by
extracting them from the
testicle using a fine
needle. |
|
TESE (Testicular
Sperm Extraction) |
a technique of
obtaining sperm by
performing a
testicular biopsy. |
|
Testicular Biopsy |
removal of a small
piece of testicular
tissue through a
scrotal incision;
the tissue may be
used to extract
sperm for ICSI.
|
|
Testosterone |
a hormone produced
by the testicles
and adrenal glands
of normal men
resulting in the
development of
male secondary
sexual
characteristics. |
|
Undescended
Testicle(s) |
medical term is
cryptorchidism;
failure of one
or both
testicles to
descend into the
scrotum at
birth; occurs in
approximately 3
percent of male
infants; can be
associated with
infertility and
testicular
cancer. |
|
Varicocele |
a collection
of engorged
scrotal veins,
usually on the
left side,
sometimes
resulting in
male
infertility
due to
increased
temperature.
Varicoceles
occur in 15%
of all males
and up to 40%
of infertile
males. |
|
Vaso-epididymostomy |
a vasectomy
reversal in
which the
upper
(bladder)
end of the
vas deferens
is connected
to the
epididymal
tubule. |
|
Vaso-vasostomy |
a
vasectomy
reversal
in which
the two
severed
ends of
the vas
deferens
are
reconnected. |
