The European Academy of Andrology (EAA) ultrasound study on healthy, fertile men: Scrotal ultrasound reference ranges and associations with clinical, seminal, and biochemical characteristics


Por: Lotti, F, Frizza, F, Balercia, G, Barbonetti, A, Behre, HM, Calogero, AE, Cremers, JF, Francavilla, F, Isidori, AM, Kliesch, S, La Vignera, S, Lenzi, A, Marcou, M, Pilatz, A, Poolamets, O, Punab, M, Godoy, MFP, Rajmil, O, Salvio, G, Shaeer, O, Weidner, W, Maseroli, E, Cipriani, S, Baldi, E, Degl'Innocenti, S, Danza, G, Caldini, AL, Terreni, A, Boni, L, Krausz, C, Maggi, M

Publicada: 1 mar 2021 Ahead of Print: 1 ene 2021
Resumen:
Background: Scrotal color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) still suffers from lack of standardization. Hence, the European Academy of Andrology (EAA) has promoted a multicenter study to assess the CDUS characteristics of healthy fertile men (HFM) to obtain normative parameters. Objectives: To report and discuss the scrotal organs CDUS reference ranges and characteristics in HFM and their associations with clinical, seminal, and biochemical parameters. Methods: A cohort of 248 HFM (35.3 +/- 5.9years) was studied, evaluating, on the same day, clinical, biochemical, seminal, and scrotal CDUS following Standard Operating Procedures. Results: The CDUS reference range and characteristics of the scrotal organs of HFM are reported here. CDUS showed a higher accuracy than physical examination in detecting scrotal abnormalities. Prader orchidometer (PO)- and US-measured testicular volume (TV) were closely related. The US-assessed TV with the ellipsoid formula showed the best correlation with the PO-TV. The mean TV of HFM was similar to 17 ml. The lowest reference limit for right and left testis was 12 and 11 ml, thresholds defining testicular hypotrophy. The highest reference limit for epididymal head, tail, and vas deferens was 12, 6, and 4.5 mm, respectively. Mean TV was associated positively with sperm concentration and total count and negatively with gonadotropins levels and pulse pressure. Subjects with testicular inhomogeneity or calcifications showed lower sperm vitality and concentration, respectively, than the rest of the sample. Sperm normal morphology and progressive motility were positively associated with epididymal head size/vascularization and vas deferens size, respectively. Increased epididymis and vas deferens sizes were associated with MAR test positivity. Decreased epididymal tail homogeneity/vascularization were positively associated with waistline, which was negatively associated with intratesticular vascularization. CDUS varicocele was detected in 37.2% of men and was not associated with seminal or hormonal parameters. Scrotal CDUS parameters were not associated with time to pregnancy, number of children, history of miscarriage. Conclusions: The present findings will help in better understanding male infertility pathophysiology, improving its management.

Filiaciones:
Lotti, F:
 Univ Florence, Dept Expt & Clin Biomed Sci Mario Serio, Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Unit, Androl Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Un, Florence, Italy

Frizza, F:
 Univ Florence, Dept Expt & Clin Biomed Sci Mario Serio, Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Unit, Androl Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Un, Florence, Italy

Balercia, G:
 Polytech Univ Marche, Osped Riuniti Ancona, Endocrinol Unit, Ancona, Italy

Barbonetti, A:
 Univ Aquila, Dept Life Hlth & Environm Sci, Androl Unit, Laquila, Italy

Behre, HM:
 Martin Luther Univ Halle Wittenberg, Ctr Reprod Med & Androl, Halle, Germany

Calogero, AE:
 Univ Catania, Dept Clin & Expt Med, Catania, Italy

Cremers, JF:
 Univ Hosp Munster, Dept Clin & Surg Androl, Ctr Reprod Med & Androl, Munster, Germany

Francavilla, F:
 Univ Aquila, Dept Life Hlth & Environm Sci, Androl Unit, Laquila, Italy

Isidori, AM:
 Sapienza Univ Rome, Dept Expt Med, Rome, Italy

Kliesch, S:
 Justus Liebig Univ, Dept Urol Pediat Urol & Androl, Giessen, Germany

La Vignera, S:
 Univ Catania, Dept Clin & Expt Med, Catania, Italy

Lenzi, A:
 Sapienza Univ Rome, Dept Expt Med, Rome, Italy

Marcou, M:
 Martin Luther Univ Halle Wittenberg, Ctr Reprod Med & Androl, Halle, Germany

Pilatz, A:
 Justus Liebig Univ, Dept Urol Pediat Urol & Androl, Giessen, Germany

Poolamets, O:
 Tartu Univ Hosp, Androl Unit, Tartu, Estonia

Punab, M:
 Tartu Univ Hosp, Androl Unit, Tartu, Estonia

Godoy, MFP:
 Univ Autonoma Barcelona, Inst Invest Biomed St Pau IIB St Pau, Fundacio Puigvert, Androl Dept, Barcelona, Spain

Rajmil, O:
 Univ Autonoma Barcelona, Inst Invest Biomed St Pau IIB St Pau, Fundacio Puigvert, Androl Dept, Barcelona, Spain

Salvio, G:
 Polytech Univ Marche, Osped Riuniti Ancona, Endocrinol Unit, Ancona, Italy

Shaeer, O:
 Cairo Univ, Kasr El Aini Fac Med, Dept Androl, Cairo, Egypt

Weidner, W:
 Justus Liebig Univ, Dept Urol Pediat Urol & Androl, Giessen, Germany

Maseroli, E:
 Univ Florence, Dept Expt & Clin Biomed Sci Mario Serio, Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Unit, Androl Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Un, Florence, Italy

Cipriani, S:
 Univ Florence, Dept Expt & Clin Biomed Sci Mario Serio, Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Unit, Androl Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Un, Florence, Italy

Baldi, E:
 Univ Florence, Dept Expt & Clin Biomed Sci Mario Serio, Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Unit, Androl Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Un, Florence, Italy

Degl'Innocenti, S:
 Univ Florence, Dept Expt & Clin Biomed Sci Mario Serio, Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Unit, Androl Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Un, Florence, Italy

Danza, G:
 Univ Florence, Dept Expt & Clin Biomed Sci Mario Serio, Endocrinol Unit, Florence, Italy

Caldini, AL:
 Careggi Hosp, Dept Lab, Florence, Italy

Terreni, A:
 Careggi Hosp, Dept Lab, Florence, Italy

Boni, L:
 Univ Hosp Careggi, Toscano Canc Inst, Clin Trials Coordinating Ctr, Florence, Italy

Krausz, C:
 Univ Florence, Dept Expt & Clin Biomed Sci Mario Serio, Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Unit, Androl Female Endocrinol & Gender Incongruence Un, Florence, Italy

Maggi, M:
 Univ Florence, Dept Expt & Clin Biomed Sci Mario Serio, Endocrinol Unit, Florence, Italy
ISSN: 20472919
Editorial
WILEY, 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA, Estados Unidos America
Tipo de documento: Article
Volumen: 9 Número: 2
Páginas: 559-576
WOS Id: 000608487600001
ID de PubMed: 33244893
imagen Green Published

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