Joseph Conaghan

Birth after intracytoplasmic sperm injection with use of testicular sperm from men with kartagener/immotile cilia syndrome

OBJECTIVE To describe two cases of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with testicular sperm in men with immotile cilia syndromes. DESIGN Case report. SETTING A university-based male infertility clinic and assisted reproduction unit. PATIENT(S) Two couples with male factor infertility due to Kartagener/immotile cilia syndrome. INTERVENTION(S) IVF/ICSI with testicular sperm. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Semen characteristics, sperm viability, fertilization rate, and pregnancy. RESULT(S) With testicular sperm, the two pronuclear fertilization rates were 63% and 60% in two cases. One case resulted in the birth of normal healthy girl. CONCLUSION(S) With testicular sperm, successful oocyte fertilization after ICSI in couples with male Kartagener/immotile cilia syndrome is possible despite the lack of sperm motility.

Standardization of grading embryo morphology

Standardization of morphologic assessment for an embryo grading system was developed and is being implemented by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART). A recent European consensus conference of embryologists from Europe and America is working toward adopting an embryo classification system modeled similarly to that of SART that, if adopted, would produce a de facto international standard to aid cross-border collaboration.