| RESEARCH ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2004 | Volume
: 20
| Issue : 2 | Page : 148-153 |
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Assessment of the utility of testicular FNAC in infertile males with special reference to differential counts
Madhu S Agarwal, Atul Gupta, Kiran Chaturvedi, Prashant Lavania
Department of Surgery & Pathology, S.N. Medical College, Agra, India
Correspondence Address:
Madhu S Agarwal
4/18c, Bagh Farzana, Civil Lines, Agra - 282 002
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
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Objectives: This study was conducted to make morphological assessment of spermatogenesis on testicular FNAC in infertile males, along with quantitative analysis of cytological smears using various cell indices, and to correlate the cytological findings with histology.
Methods: Testicular FNAC was performed in 155 azoospermic and oligozoospermic patients, and smears were examined qualitatively and quantitatively. Various cell indices including `Spermatic index', 'Sertoli cell index' and 'sperm-Sertoli cell index' were studied in these smears, and correlation made with histology.
Results: On the basis of morphological assessment and differential cell counts, the cases were classified as 'normal spermatogenesis' in 54 cases, `hypospermatogenesis' in 37 cases, `maturation arrest' in 18 cases, 'Sertoli cell only' syndrome in 33 cases, `scanty aspirate /absence of spermatogenesis' in 10 cases, and discordant results in bilateral testicular aspirates in 3 patients. 'Sertoli cell index' was found to be the most important index in distinguishing hypospermatogenesis from normal spermatogenesis. The differences between the indices in normal spermatogenesis and other cytological categories were statistically significant. In most cases, complete agreement was found between cytological and histological findings.
Conclusions : Fine needle aspiration cytology of the testis is a safe, reliable and minimally invasive modality for evaluation of spermatogenic activity in infertile males, with excellent correlation with histology. Use of quantitative studies accurately and reproducibly segregate the cases into clinically and therapeutically useful groups. |
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