[Spermatogenesis in patients with traumatic transverse paralysis].

Testicular biopsies from 22 paraplegic men were studied by light and electron microscopy. The investigations of semithin sections by a special standardized method revealed that normal spermatogenesis occurred in only one patient, whereas in 21 patients severe disturbance of spermatogenesis was found. The germinal epithelium displayed a decrease of spermatogenic cells, an increase of degenerating cells, especially of spermatids, and a release of large groups of premature germ cells. Cross sectioned tubules often showed no patent lumina. As revealed by electron microscopical investigations the spermatids show malformations in most cases of the head and acrosome, rarely of the tail. Decreased spermatogenic activity occurred in various degrees in each of the 21 men. There is no evidence that any specific form of spermatogenic disturbance exists typical of spinal cord injury. No obvious relationship was found between the degree of spermatogenic disturbance and duration or level of the spinal cord lesion or incidence of urinary tract infection.