La testicular biopsy is an examination that involves taking a sample of tissue from one or both testes and examining it.

The testes are glands that are found in the scrotum, at the base of penis. They produce the sperm, necessary for the reproduction, And hormones like testosterone.

Testicular biopsy can be done in the following situations:

• to determine the cause of infertility of a man, if other tests have not been able to identify him (in the event of azoospermia or absence of spermatozoa in the semen in particular)
• in some cases (in men with azoospermia associated with duct obstruction), to collect sperm and perform ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection)
• If examination of the testes by palpation or ultrasound showed the presence of a lump or abnormality, the biopsy can help determine whether it is a cancerous mass or not. However, most often, if cancer is suspected, the affected testicle is removed in its entirety (orchiectomy) without delay.

The operation is performed under general or locoregional anesthesia (epidural or spinal anesthesia) after shaving and disinfection of the area.

The doctor makes a small incision in the skin of the scrotum (usually in the middle part between the two testicles) to remove a small piece of testicular tissue. The testicle must be taken out of its purse.

The intervention is performed on an outpatient basis, that is to say over a single day. Complications are rare and generally benign, with the hematoma resolving spontaneously.

Testicular biopsy is primarily used in the management of male infertility, for diagnosis and treatment.

It allows in particular to understand the causes of azoospermia and, in the case of so-called obstructive azoospermia (obstruction of the tube in which sperm circulate from the testes to the urethra), to collect live sperm for the purpose of carrying out in vitro fertilization with ICSI.

The doctor will discuss the results with you and suggest additional tests or treatments, depending on the problem identified.