Scoring sperm morphology using the scanning electron microscope.

The scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used in an attempt to accurately score morphologic differences in sperm, but early attempts were confounded by tangled preparations. In order to obtain an evenly spread sample, a new technique was evolved where a suspension of sperm cells was filtered and the whole filter prepared for the microscope. Sperm samples were then examined from men with and without obvious clinical and Doppler evidence of a varicocele. All samples were coded and scored; statistically significant differences in sperm morphology between the two groups of men were found. Our conclusions are that the SEM is worthy of further evaluation as a tool in the accurate scoring of sperm morphology, and the presence of a varicocele does appear to have an effect on sperm structure.