BIRTH AFTER COMBINATION OF CRYOPRESERVATION OF SPERM RECOVERED FROM URINE AND INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION IN A CASE OF COMPLETE RETROGRADE EJACULATION

Objective: To assess whether sperm recovered from postejaculatory urin e and cryopreserved can be used successfully for intracytoplasmic sper m injection (ICSI). Design: Case report. Setting: Laboratory of Develo pmental and Reproductive Biology, University Hospital. Patient(s): A c ouple with male infertility resulting from complete retrograde ejacula tion. Intervention(s): Freezing of sperm recovered from urine and subs equent use for ICSI. Main Outcome Measure(s): Survival, maintenance of fertilization, and pregnancy potential of sperm recovered from urine and cryopreserved. Result(s): On thawing, the sperm were still alive ( 32% viability) and very slightly motile (2% sluggish motility). Of 16 oocytes injected. 10 (62.5%) produced normal, cleaving embryos. A twin pregnancy with the birth of two healthy infant girls was achieved aft er the transfer of three embryos. Conclusion(s): The birth of normal, healthy female infants after ICSI with sperm recovered from postejacul atory urine and then cryopreserved demonstrates the usefulness of free zing such sperm even if motility is very low, to avoid surgery in the patient. (C) 1997 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.