Can someone with germ cell aplasia father a child?

Question

Hello doctor,

My son is 34 years old and has low testosterone levels. His semen analysis revealed no sperm. He underwent a testicular biopsy on both sides, which diagnosed morphological changes consistent with germinal cell aplasia. The microscopic description indicates that the seminiferous tubules are relatively small and lined predominantly with Sertoli cells. There is no significant evidence of spermatogenesis. The changes are consistent with germinal cell aplasia.

My question is whether there is any hope for my son to become a father. Are there any treatments available for his condition? He takes Levothyroxine daily for his hypothyroidism and vitamin D weekly. He was treated with Clomiphene for six weeks. Additionally, he had Hodgkin's disease in childhood, which was successfully treated.

Please suggest.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Based on the information provided, natural conception is not possible, and there is currently no treatment to correct the abnormalities. The testicular biopsy would have examined only a small portion of the testis. However, a type of testicular sperm extraction (TESE) called microsurgical testicular sperm extraction examines the entire testis and may identify areas where sperm could potentially be retrieved for assisted reproductive techniques. Even if sperm are successfully retrieved, the chances of achieving a successful pregnancy and delivery with these techniques are about 60 to 70 percent.

Thanks and regards.