[Lack of the central pair of axial filaments in a case of short-tailed spermatozoa human teratospermia (author's transl)].

A case of short-tailed human spermatozoa is presented in a patient with severe teratospermia. The middle piece was generally short, showing abundant cytoplasmic droplets, disruption of the mitochondrial sheath and absence of some coarsed fibers. The majority of spermatozoa showed enlargement of the principal piece, reduplication of proliferation of the fibrous sheath, and disorganization as well of the axial filament complex as of the coarsed fibers. An abnormal great number of microtubules and coarsed fibers were frequently randomly scattered throughout the cytoplasmic droplet. A further abnormality, consisting in the lack of the central pair of axial filaments was relevant in a 70 p. 100 of spermatozoa. This latter abnormality could be or not associated with the former alterations.