Necrospermia and chronic spinal cord injury

Objective: To determine whether improvement in quality of semen over 3 cons ecutive days of electroejaculation in men with chronic spinal cord injury ( SCI) was consistent with epididymal necrospermia. Design: Prospective study of a random sample of men with SCI. Setting: A southeastern Australian SCI management center in collaboration w ith the specialist andrology service of a university-based department of ob stetrics and gynecology in a tertiary referral hospital. Patient(s): Nine men with chronic spinal cord injury. Intervention(s): Semen samples were obtained by using electroejaculation, a nd testicular biopsy samples were obtained by using fine-needle tissue aspi ration. Main Outcome Measure(s): Semen analysis was performed according to World He alth Organization criteria. Testicular biopsy and electron microscopy were done by using standard techniques. Result(s): During up to 3 days of consecutive-day electroejaculation, sperm motility and viability in semen obtained from men with chronic SCI increas ed by an average of 23% on days 2 and 3. The severity of the degenerative c hanges and the numbers of spermatozoa affected on day 1 became less marked by day 4, The changes were not present in late spermatids obtained from tes ticular biopsies. Conclusion(s): The asthenospermia of chronic SCI is similar to epididymal n ecrospermia and can be improved by consecutive-day electroejaculation. (C) 2000 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.