Introduction: Male accessory gland infection (MAGI) exerts a negative influence on male fertility which depends upon its extension. Indeed, we have shown that patients with MAGI involving prostate, seminal vesicles and epididymis have worse sperm parameters compared with patients with prostatitis alone or prostate-vesiculitis. Similarly, MAGI extending bilaterally is associated with a worse sperm output. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of two different additional ultrasound (US) findings (hypertrophic- congestive and a fibro-sclerotic US form) and to evaluate their semen quality.
Materials and methods: One hundred infertile patients with MAGI, diagnosed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 1993 criteria, were evaluated by scrotal and transrectal ultrasound scans. The control group consisted of 100 healthy, age-matched men.
Results: The ultrasound examination confirms two separate US variants of MAGI: a hypertrophic-congestive (prevalence of 56%) and a fibro-sclerotic form (prevalence of 29%). Patients with hypertrophic-congestive MAGI showed higher sperm concentration, motility and normal forms, but also higher sperm leukocytes concentration and seminal reactive oxygen species compared to patients with fibro-sclerotic MAGI. However, all these parameters were significantly worse than those observed in the control group.
Discussion: Infertile patients with hypertrophic-congestive MAGI have a better sperm quality compared with patients with fibrosclerotic MAGI; however, they showed higher oxidative stress in semen.