PMID: 9187943May 1, 1995Paper

Diagnosing testicular function using 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a current review

Human Reproduction Update
J van der Grond

Abstract

Patients with low sperm counts combined with normal concentrations of gonadotrophins, and in whom physical examination and post-ejaculatory urine analysis are normal, present a diagnostic dilemma. This situation can be caused by testicular failure or by ductal obstruction, which have very different clinical prognoses. Ductal obstruction might be correctable by microsurgical vasovaso/vasoepididymostomy, whereas this approach is of no use in primary testicular failure. A possible diagnostic step for these patients is a testicular biopsy to differentiate between hypospermatogenesis and a normal gonad. However, to date testicular biopsy is seldom performed because of its invasive character. An alternative accurate, non-invasive method to assess testicular function could be very helpful in the evaluation of idiopathic azoospermia or idiopathic oligozoospermia. During the past decade, magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy has been developed from a scientific tool into a non-invasive clinical diagnostic tool and has also been used to study testicular function. Recent studies have shown that 31P-MR spectroscopy, based upon differences in the ratio of peaks of phosphomonoester to beta-adenosinetriphosphate, is a non-invasive technique ab...Continue Reading

Citations

Nov 1, 1996·Environmental Health Perspectives·L TabladoC Soler
Jul 11, 2007·Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics·Fnu DeepinderAshok Agarwal
Mar 1, 2006·Magnetic Resonance in Medicine : Official Journal of the Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine·Masayuki YamaguchiManabu Minami
Aug 4, 2015·Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine·Claudia BonechiClaudio Rossi

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