THE ROLE OF ULTRASONGRAGHY IN THE EVALUATION OF INFERTILE MALE

Abstract

Primary infertility means failure to conceive after a period of one year of regular unprotected intercourse. However, individual circumstances will differ and couples should be ~r£ever they think there is a problem.! Infertility affects about 15 % of couples, about one-third of infertility is caused by a male factor alone and about 20 % is due to combined male and female factors. Therefore, a male factor is responsible for approximately 50 % of these couples. For instance, fertile and infertile men are not separated by World Health Organization (WHO) criteria because pregnancy may occur as long as motile sperm are evident. Some identifiable defect or functional failure related to sperm occurs in 20% to 30% of couples investigated for infertility subject .Abnormal semen analysis parameters such as count, motility and percentage of normal forms are reliable indicators of subfertility.

Color doppler ultrasonography is an accurate, rapid, safe and non• invasive tool in evaluation of scrotal contents. The combination of structural and flow information provided by color doppler ultrasonography allows a specific diagnosis of scrotal abnormalities in infertile men, in particular testicular and epididymal anomalies." Infertility secondary to abnormalities in the distal genital tract has been previously thought uncommon; however using transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) in their diagnosis has resulted in an increase in their incidence.' High resolution transrectal ultrasonography is a relatively non-invasive,