Biopty gun testis needle biopsy: a preliminary clinical experience.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the reliability, safety and patient satisfaction of transcutaneous Biopty (Bard Urological, Covington, GA, USA) gun testis biopsies.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Nineteen young men who were referred for evaluation of azoospermia were included in the study. The procedure was performed in an outpatient setting, under local anaesthesia and without sedation. Two passes of the Biopty gun spring-loaded needle were performed unilaterally in each patient.

RESULTS

An average of 38.9 seminiferous tubules were evaluable per patient. The procedure was extremely well-tolerated by all patients and most felt that the procedure was no more distressing than simple phlebotomy.

CONCLUSION

Transcutaneous testis needle biopsy performed with the Biopty gun is safe, rapid and cost-effective. This technique may represent a viable alternative to the open method of testis biopsy.