Testicular fine needle aspiration cytology in male infertility.

Objective To compare the accuracy of testicular fine needle aspiration and biopsy for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Study Design A comparison of testicular fine needle aspiration and biopsy was performed on 34 infertile men over a 2-year period. Results Concordance of the 2 tests was evident in 88% of cases. In discordant cases fine needle aspiration yielded more than biopsy, considering the existence of secondary sperinatocytes and spermatids. Charcot-Bottcher crystalloids were frequently seen in the cytoplasm of Sertoli cells in normal and abnormal spermatogenesis. Conclusion Testicular fine needle aspiration is a simple and cost-effective method of evaluating testicular pathology in male factor infertility. It may yield more diagnostic and therapeutic material than does biopsy.