תוצאת חיפוש

Does Testicular Volume Reflect Spermatogenic Pattern in Azoospermia?

David B. Weiss, Elchanan Bar-On, Shoshana Gottschalk-Sabag, Zvi Zukerman

Kupat Holim Mehuhedet and Male Infertility and Cytology Units, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem; and Andrology Unit, Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson Campus) Petah Tikva

The aim of this study was to determine whether testicular volume can serve to predict patterns of spermatogenesis in azoospermia. In 27 tests of azoospermic infertile men, cytological specimens from several sites from each testis were obtained by fine needle aspiration. Testes were classified according to the most mature spermatogenic cell type. Classifications were testes with spermatozoa, with arrested spermatogenic development, and with only Sertoli cells. Prior to fine needle aspiration the 3 dimensions of each testis were determined ultrasonically and its volume calculated. Mean testicular volume (±‏SD) was 7.71 (±5.95) ml for testes with spermatozoa and 7.55 (±2.35) and 7.31 (±4.42) ml for testes with spermatogenic maturation arrest and with only Sertoli cells, respectively (differences not significant). It is concluded that testicular volume can not be used as a predictive parameter, neither for the presence of spermatozoa nor for the cytological pattern of the testes of azoospermic infertile men.

Recurrent Syncope as a Presenting Symptom of Systemic Mastocytosis

Iris Barshack, Ginette Schiby, Ofer Shpilberg, Yechezkel Sidi

Pathology Dept., Hematology Institute and Medical Dept. C, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer

A 48-year-old man presented with recurrent syncope which was preceded by facial edema and difficulty in breathing. Physical examination, laboratory tests, abdominal CT and bone scan were all within normal limits. Bone marrow biopsy was consistent with mastocytosis. Systemic mastocytosis consists of a spectrum of disorders characterized by aberrant proliferation of tissue mast cells, and are mainly related to mast cell mediator release.

Blunt Trauma causing Emboli from Friable Atherosclerotic Plaques

Selma Moses, Michael Motro, Yehuda Shoenfeld

Medical Dept. B and Cardiac Rehabilitation Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

We present a 55-year-old woman who developed a shower of emboli following a car accident. Such events may have medicolegal implications as well as preventive considerations.

Hemato-Oncology Patients in Acute Respiratory Failure in the ICU

R. Ben-Abraham, E. Segal, I. Hardan, D. Shpilberg,S. Stemer, A. Shitrit, I. Ben-Bassat, A. Perel

Depts. of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Hematology, Oncology and Clinical Epidemiology; Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Hemato-oncology patients needing mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure (ARF) have an extremely poor prognosis, with a mortality of more than 90%. Over an 18 month-period 17 such patients were admitted to our ICU. Diagnoses included leukemia (11 cases), lymphoma (1), and status post bone marrow transplantation for leukemia, lymphoma or breast cancer (5). Of 8 whose ARF was associated with septic complications due to neutropenia following chemotherapy, 6 survived. Of 9 who developed ARF due to toxic damage to vital organs following high-dose chemotherapy, 2 survived. Those who develop ARF during chemotherapy are expected to have an increase in granulocyte count within days, and have a surprisingly good prognosis. They should be admitted to the ICU and treated aggressively. Those who develop sepsis due their primary disease and whose general condition contraindicates chemotherapy, have an extremely grave prognosis and admission to the ICU may not be warranted.

Effect of the Yom Kippur Fast on Parturition

A. Wiser, E. Maymon, M. Mazor, I. Shoham-Vardi, T. Silberstein, A. Wiznitzer, M. Katz

Depts. of Obstetrics and Gynecology and of Epidemiology, Soroka Medical Center, and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba

Food-withdrawal has been proposed as a possible mechanism for initiating the onset of labor in animals and humans. The hypothesis was based upon the reported increase in deliveries of infants during the Yom Kippur fast. We studied the effect of the fast on full term deliveries of Jewish women, with non-fasting Bedouin women as controls (1988-1995, 1,313 Jewish and 1,091 Bedouin deliveries). To determine the effect of Yom Kippur itself, delivery rates on Sukkot and Yom Kippur were compared in both groups. The mean delivery rate in the Jewish population was significantly higher during Yom Kippur and the day after, than during the 7 days before Yom Kippur (15.1±5.1 and 14.6±4.7 vs 10.7±3.5, p<0.04 and p<0.01, respectively). There was an increase in delivery rate during the 6 hours before the end of the fast. In the Bedouin women there were no changes in delivery rate during any of these periods. There were no significant differences in the rates of deliveries during the Sukkot festival between Jewish and Bedouin women. We conclude that fasting is associated with a significant increase in the rate of deliveries at term.

Seminiferous Tubule Cytological Pattern in Infertile, Azoospermic Men in Diagnosis and Therapy

David B. Weiss, Shoshana Gottschalk-Sabag, Elchanan Bar-On, Zvi Zukerman, Yigal Gat, Benjamin Bartoov

Male Infertility and Cytology Units, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem; Andrology Unit, Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson Campus), Petah Tikva and Male Infertility Laboratory, Dept. of Life Sciences, Bar-Illan University, Ramat Gan

We determined spermatogenic patterns of seminiferous tubules in azoospermic infertile men and evaluated the prevalence of bilateral testicular homogeneity. 185 azoospermic men underwent bilateral testicular fine-needle aspiration (TFNA) in which each testis was punctured at 3 different positions. Aspirated material was stained and classified according to the most mature spermatogenic cell type present or whether only Sertoli cells were present. 35.7% had spermatozoa in their testes, 36.2% had spermatogenic maturation arrest, and 28.1% had only Sertoli cells in their seminiferous tubules. In 15.6% of all patients, the diagnosis in 1 testis differed from that in the other. In only 73.2% of those with testicular spermatozoa was it bilateral. In the remaining 26.9%, only Sertoli cells, spermatocytes or spermatids were found as the most mature cell type in the other testis. The study definitely indicates that fertilization with retrieved testicular spermatozoa should not be offered to azoospermic patients without prior evaluation of the seminiferous tubue spermatogenic pattern in both testes.