Received December 09, 2008
Accepted December 20, 2008

Objective: To search and to identify spermatozoa, present in the ejaculate of non-obstructive azoospermic patients. Serum folicle stimulating hormone (FSH)level and testicular histology were examined as positive predictive factors for sperm recovery. Materials and Methods: 60 patients, aged between 20 and 50 years, with initial diagnosis compatible with non-obstructive azoospermia, underwent up to 2 seminal samples, with assessment of macroscopic and microscopic parameters differentiated for each sample. In the absence of spermatozoa, the entire sample was transferred to a conic tube and following centrifugation the sediment was freshly analyzed. Testis biopsis were categorized as hypospermatogenesis, maturation arrest and Sertoli cell-only syndrome. Results: The results showed that in 13 individuals diagnosed with non-obstructive azoospermia were found sperm in ejaculate. The most frequent testicular histological finding was maturation arrest (46,16%), followed by hypospermatogenesis (23,08%). Conclusion: In clinical situations where the initial diagnosis is non-obstructive azoospermia, one single routine seminal analysis is not enough to confirm this diagnosis and the analysis of the centrifuged sediment can have relevant clinical consequences. Testicular histology can not be used as the most reliable predictor of successful sperm recovery. Serum FSH level has no significant relationship to successful sperm retrival.