The correlation between sperm count and testicular biopsy using a new scoring system.

Biopsies of 320 testes were evaluated and a new scoring system for describing testicular biopsies was used. This scoring system uses four criteria in the evaluation of the biopsy: the diameter of the tubules (D), the thickness of the peritubular membrane (M), the population of cells within the tubules (P), and the spermatogenic maturation degree (S). The score of each biopsy was correlated to the sperm count of each patient. A typical correlation between the biopsy score and the sperm count was found in cases with sperm count between 0 and 12 million/cc. The clinical value of the new scoring system in describing typical clinical syndromes and in the evaluation of the prognosis of treatment was emphasized.