Electron microscopy in the study of human sperm pathologies

The aim of this study is to underline the role of transmission and scanning electron microscopy analysis in the diagnosis of human sperm pathologies. Among the possible causes of male infertility, defects of sperm morphology represent an important factor that may explain decreased fertilizing potential of sperm. Electron microscopy allowed us to identify systematic sperm defects that affect the vast majority of sperm in a semen sample and non-systematic sperm defects, a heterogeneous combination of randomly distributed alterations affecting the head and the tail organelles in a varied percentage of ejaculated sperm. Correct diagnosis of specific altered sperm phenotypes is important for the advancement of new therapies for treating male factor infertility and for the choice and outcome of assisted reproduction techniques.