Contents
- What is male infertility?
- What are the causes of male infertility?
- What specialist diagnoses and treats male infertility?
- What is the MSOME-6600 study
- What is the MSOME-6600 study?
- How is a healthy sperm built?
- What is an abnormal sperm structure?
- What are the indications for the MSOME-6600 study
- How should I prepare for the MSOME-6600 study?
- How much does the MSOME-6600 study cost and where to perform it?
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The MSOME-6600 test in the diagnosis of male infertility belongs to the group of additional tests in this category. This research technique is not used in many clinics, but it is gaining in popularity every year. It allows you to observe the structure of a living sperm at a very high magnification. What is the MSOME-6600 technique and when should it be decided?
What is male infertility?
Male infertility is a sensitive topic for many men who are reluctant to consult a specialist to diagnose or cure this problem. As it turns out, male infertility is a problem in almost half of the cases of couples who undergo treatment in specialized clinics. Regardless of our beliefs, according to the World Health Organization, female and male infertility is a disease and this is how it should be treated, diagnosed, treated, and also thought about prevention in advance.
Male infertility does not mean that a man will never have children again. Complete infertility occurs sporadically and affects approx. 3-8% of treated couples. There are many temporary causes of male infertility and sometimes it is enough to make slight changes in everyday habits to return to full fertility. Regardless of the cause of this infertility, however, the man needs to be ready to be tested and then treated.
Research shows that just over half of men have poor sperm quality, and in many cases doctors do not find sperm at all. In Poland, one in five couples struggle with the problem of infertility.
What are the causes of male infertility?
Male infertility may result from many factors, such as environmental conditions, bad habits, improper diet, past diseases or injuries. The most frequently mentioned causes of male infertility include:
- testicular diseases – very often testicular diseases cause infertility. A man should be diagnosed with testicular cancer, testicular hydrocele, varicocele, cryptorchidism or testicular idiopathic insufficiency;
- systemic diseases – disturbances in the functioning of the thyroid gland, hypopituitarism, hyperprolactinemia, diabetes, liver diseases, hypoplasia of gonads, chronic nephritis and impotence;
- low sperm quality – nowadays an increasing number of men struggle with the problem of low sperm quality. Male fertility in this case can be lowered by irregular sex or unhealthy lifestyle, especially a sedentary lifestyle, heavy smoking, drinking alcohol, diet poor in nutrients and lack of physical activity;
- stress – as a result of prolonged stress, cortisol accumulates in the male body, which blocks the secretion of testosterone, the hormone responsible for male fertility;
- immunological problems – in the case of disorders of the immune system, there is a situation in which the body produces antibodies that destroy the sperm. Immune infertility is diagnosed during specially selected diagnostic tests;
- disorders in sperm development – abnormal sperm motility or its complete absence, reduced sperm count or abnormal sperm structure.
Male infertility is not a sentence! Performing diagnostic tests allows for the diagnosis of the causes of infertility and the implementation of treatment that may lead to the return to full fertility.
What specialist diagnoses and treats male infertility?
Male infertility is a disease that is diagnosed and treated by an andrologist. An andrology specialist deals with diseases of the male reproductive system. In some cases, a patient may go to a urologist, a specialist in the field of diseases of the genitourinary system, for medical advice. Often, when trying to identify the causes of infertility, the first visits of couples trying for a child take place in the gynecologist’s office.
After identifying the problem, the gynecologist will refer the patient to the appropriate specialist. It is worth noting that male infertility is a complex problem, therefore the diagnosis and treatment of this ailment usually requires the cooperation and intervention of specialists from several fields of medicine.
What does an andrologist do in his specialization? Check: Andrologist – what does he do and what tests does he perform?
What is the MSOME-6600 study
The MSOME-6600 test is a research technique that allows the observation of the structure of a living sperm at over 6000 times approximation. The name of the MSOME technique is an abbreviation of motile sperm organelle morphology examination. Embryologists who analyze the material observe sperm under very high magnification. This allows for an accurate and precise assessment of sperm structure and the selection of the best one that will increase the chance of pregnancy and minimize the risk of miscarriage.
What should you know about semen analysis? Check: Semen analysis – course, preparation, price
What is the MSOME-6600 study?
The MSOME-6600 study provides a thorough real-time analysis of the morphology of motile sperm organelles. The test detects changes in the construction of the same. The evaluation of the quality of the vacuole, in turn, allows to determine the occurrence of any abnormalities in the sperm that will be used for the ICSI / IMSI fertilization procedure. This test also allows the results to compare the quality of the vacuole with the level of sperm DNA damage.
How is a healthy sperm built?
The MSOME-6600 test is primarily performed to check and evaluate the structure of sperm. So how should a normal and healthy sperm be built? Sperm are reproductive cells that are produced by a male’s gonad. The sperm consists of a head, a twist and a cap. There are enzymes in the cap that allow the sperm to break through the egg wall. Witek, on the other hand, is responsible for the sperm motility. The withe consists of a neck and an insert. The cervix is the initial part of the twine and connects the sperm head with the rest of the twine.
The insert, on the other hand, is a further, thinner building block of sperm. The average length of the sperm is approximately 0,006 mm, which makes it invisible to the naked eye. The magnification of the image, enabled by the MSOME-6600 technique, causes the analyzed sperm to take a size of approx. 4 cm.
More information about the structure of the sperm can be found here: Sperm – what is it ?, structure, life expectancy, male fertility
What is an abnormal sperm structure?
According to the current standards of the World Health Organization, male sperm should contain 4% or more of normal sperm structure. An abnormal sperm is considered to be one that shows abnormalities in the head, twist or insert. A sperm can have a single defect or a set of abnormalities. Only one defect is required to be included in the malformed group.
Abnormalities within the sperm head:
- faint outline of the head;
- other than the oval shape of the head;
- too small or too large head;
- indistinct, too large or too small acrosome;
- more than two vacuoles in the acrosomal region;
- vacuole area greater than 20% of the area of the sperm head;
- vacuoles in the post-macrosomal region;
- double or triple head.
Abnormalities within the insert:
- too thick or too thin inset;
- too long or too short inset;
- cytoplasmic pendants with an area exceeding 1/3 of the surface of the head;
- insert attached to the head not in its axis;
- inset with a sharp break.
Irregularities within the switch:
- too long or too short switch;
- variable thickness;
- sharp bends on any part of it;
- spiral arrangement;
- double switch.
What are the indications for the MSOME-6600 study
The MSOME-6600 method is a relatively new diagnostic technique for male infertility. It was introduced and used for the first time in 2001 by B. Bartoove. In addition to the diagnosis of male infertility, the MSOME-6600 test is recommended in cases of:
- repeated implantation failures after ICSI;
- miscarriages after ICSI if other causes have been ruled out;
- no blastocysts or a low percentage of blastocysts in prolonged in vitro culture;
- combined male infertility with a low percentage of normal sperm;
- advanced age of a man.
How should I prepare for the MSOME-6600 study?
The MSOME-6600 test is performed from a semen sample, so the man must provide a sperm sample to the laboratory. Usually, in clinics where the examination takes place, there is a special room where the man can relax, which makes it easier to take a sperm sample. It is not uncommon for a man to be accompanied by his partner in such a room.
It should be remembered that a man should refrain from sexual activity and drinking alcohol 3-5 days prior to the test before taking a sperm sample. The physician should be knowledgeable about all the patient’s diseases as well as the medications they take. Otherwise, the test results may be falsified.
How much does the MSOME-6600 study cost and where to perform it?
The MSOME-6600 test is performed in diagnostic laboratories, which are most often located in fertility diagnosis and treatment clinics. Many facilities do not have this test in their standard offer, but it is possible to perform it at the patient’s express request. The price of the MSOME-6600 study varies and depends on the facility and localities where the study is performed. On average, the cost of the MSOME-6600 test is about PLN 300-350.
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