Is intracouple assisted reproductive technology an option for men with large-headed spermatozoa? A literature review and a decision guide proposal
Open accessAbstract
Although the presence of spermatozoa with an abnormally large head is rare, it is associated with low fertility or even total infertility. We reviewed the literature on assisted reproductive technology (ART) strategies and outcomes for men with large-headed spermatozoa. We also discuss additional analyses that can usefully characterize sperm defects and help with the choice between intra-couple ART and insemination with donor sperm. Lastly, we propose a classification for cases of large-headed spermatozoa.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Macrozoospermia has been reported to result in a high rate of aneuploid and polyploid spermatozoa.
“This abnormality has been reported to result in a high rate of aneuploid and polyploid spermatozoa (40).”
From Isolated teratozoospermia: revisiting its relevance in male infertility: a narrative review (2024) · cites this paper as [40]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Do morphological anomalies reflect chromosomal aneuploidies?*: Case Report
Viville, S., Mollard, R., Bach, M.-L., Falquet, C., Gerlinger, P., & Warter, S. (2000) · Human Reproduction · doi:10.1093/humrep/15.12.2563 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
Guthauser, B., Albert, M., Ferfouri, F., Ray, P. F., Rabiey, G., Selva, J., & Vialard, F. (2011) · Reproductive BioMedicine Online · doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2011.07.011 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 37
- [3]Benzacken B Gavelle FM Martin-Pont B Dupuy O Lievre N Hugues JN Familial sperm polyploidy induced by genetic spermatogenesis failure: case report Hum Reprod 2001 16 2646 2651 10.1093/humrep/16.12.2646 11726589 · DOI
- [4]Guthauser B Vialard F Dakouane M Izard V Albert M Selva J Chromosomal analysis of spermatozoa with normal-sized heads in two infertile patients with macrocephalic sperm head syndrome Fertil Steril 2006 85 750.e755 750.e757 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2005.07.1334 16500351 · DOI · Paper page
- [5]Shimizu Y Kiumura F Kaku S Izuno M Tomita K Thumkeo D Successful delivery following ICSI with macrocephalic sperm head syndrome: a case report Reprod Biomed Online 2012 24 603 605 10.1016/j.rbmo.2012.02.022 22503269 · DOI · Paper page
- [6]Kahraman S Akarsu C Cengiz G Dirican K Sozen E Can B Fertility of ejaculated and testicular megalohead spermatozoa with intracytoplasmic sperm injection Hum Reprod 1999 14 726 730 10.1093/humrep/14.3.726 10221704 · DOI
- [8]In't Veld PA Broekmans FJ de France HF Pearson PL Pieters MH van Kooij RJ Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and chromosomally abnormal spermatozoa Hum Reprod 1997 12 752 754 10.1093/humrep/12.4.752 9159437 · DOI
- [9]Ben Khelifa M Zouari R Harbuz R Halouani L Arnoult C Lunardi J A new AURKC mutation causing macrozoospermia: implications for human spermatogenesis and clinical diagnosis Mol Hum Reprod 2011 17 762 768 10.1093/molehr/gar050 21733974 PMC3639514 · DOI
- [10]Achard V Paulmyer-Lacroix O Mercier G Porcu G Saias-Magnan J Metzler-Guillemain C Reproductive failure in patients with various percentages of macronuclear spermatozoa: high level of aneuploid and polyploid spermatozoa J Androl 2007 28 600 606 10.2164/jandrol.106.001933 17412686 · DOI · Paper page
- [11]Yurov YB Saias MJ Vorsanova SG Erny R Soloviev IV Sharonin VO Rapid chromosomal analysis of germ-line cells by FISH: an investigation of an infertile male with large-headed spermatozoa Mol Hum Reprod 1996 2 665 668 10.1093/molehr/2.9.665 9239680 · DOI
- [12]Nistal M Paniagua R Herruzo A Multi-tailed spermatozoa in a case with asthenospermia and teratospermia Virchows Arch B Cell Pathol 1977 26 111 118 415424
- [13]Escalier D Human spermatozoa with large heads and multiple flagella: a quantitative ultrastructural study of 6 cases Biol Cell 1983 48 65 74 10.1111/j.1768-322X.1984.tb00203.x 6673791 · DOI
- [14]Weissenberg R Aviram A Golan R Lewin LM Levron J Madgar I Concurrent use of flow cytometry and fluorescence in-situ hybridization techniques for detecting faulty meiosis in a human sperm sample Mol Hum Reprod 1998 4 61 66 10.1093/molehr/4.1.61 9510012 · DOI
- [15]Lewis-Jones I Aziz N Seshadri S Douglas A Howard P Sperm chromosomal abnormalities are linked to sperm morphologic deformities Fertil Steril 2003 79 212 215 10.1016/S0015-0282(02)04411-4 12524092 · DOI
- [16]Perrin A Morel F Moy L Colleu D Amice V De Braekeleer M Study of aneuploidy in large-headed, multiple-tailed spermatozoa: case report and review of the literature Fertil Steril 2008 90 1201.e1213 1207 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.09.013 18166187 · DOI · Paper page
- [17]Devillard F Metzler-Guillemain C Pelletier R DeRobertis C Bergues U Hennebicq S Polyploidy in large-headed sperm: FISH study of three cases Hum Reprod 2002 17 1292 1298 10.1093/humrep/17.5.1292 11980754 · DOI
- [18]Vicari E de Palma A Burrello N Longo G Grazioso C Barone N Absolute polymorphic teratozoospermia in patients with oligo-asthenozoospermia is associated with an elevated sperm aneuploidy rate J Androl 2003 24 598 603 10.1002/j.1939-4640.2003.tb02711.x 12826699 · DOI
- [19]Hingst O Blottner S Franz C Chromatin condensation in cat spermatozoa during epididymal transit as studied by aniline blue and acridine orange staining Andrologia 1995 27 275 279 10.1111/j.1439-0272.1995.tb01105.x 8659706 · DOI
- [20]Dahlbom M Andersson M Vierula M Alanko M Morphometry of normal and teratozoospermic canine sperm heads using an image analyzer: work in progress Theriogenology 1997 48 687 698 10.1016/S0093-691X(97)00284-7 16728163 · DOI
- [21]Ferrari MR Spirito SE Giuliano SM Fernandez HA Chromatin cytophotometric analysis of abnormal bovine spermatozoa Andrologia 1998 30 85 89 10.1111/j.1439-0272.1998.tb01151.x 9629428 · DOI
- [22]Saravia F Nunez-Martinez I Moran JM Soler C Muriel A Rodriguez-Martinez H Differences in boar sperm head shape and dimensions recorded by computer-assisted sperm morphometry are not related to chromatin integrity Theriogenology 2007 68 196 203 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2007.04.052 17555808 · DOI
- [23]Marti JI Aparicio IM Garcia-Herreros M Sperm morphometric subpopulations are differentially distributed in rams with different maturity age in cryopreserved ejaculates Theriogenology 2011 76 97 109 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2011.01.022 21396697 · DOI
- [24]Casey PJ Gravance CG Davis RO Chabot DD Liu IK Morphometric differences in sperm head dimensions of fertile and subfertile stallions Theriogenology 1997 47 575 582 10.1016/S0093-691X(97)00015-0 16728009 · DOI
- [25]Guichaoua MR Mercier G Geoffroy-Siraudin C Paulmyer-Lacroix O Lanteaume A Metzler-Guillemin C Macrocephalic spermatozoa. What would be the impact on reproduction? Gynecol Obstet Fertil 2009 37 703 711 10.1016/j.gyobfe.2009.05.011 19709918 · DOI · Paper page
- [26]Guthauser B Boitrelle F Albert M Ketata F Meynant C Ferfouri F Contraindication of ART following a sperm FISH analysis, even though only 12 % of the spermatozoa had enlarged heads Syst Biol Reprod Med 2013 59 214 217 10.3109/19396368.2013.783646 23517468 · DOI
- [27]Yaniz JL Soler C Santolaria P Computer assisted sperm morphometry in mammals: a review Anim Reprod Sci 2015 156 1 12 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2015.03.002 25802026 · DOI
- [28]Revay T Nagy S Kopp C Flyckt A Rens W Rath D Macrocephaly in bull spermatozoa is associated with nuclear vacuoles, diploidy and alteration of chromatin condensation Cytogenet Genome Res 2009 126 202 209 10.1159/000245921 20016171 · DOI
- [29]Boitrelle F Pagnier M Athiel Y Swierkowski-Blanchard N Torre A Alter L A human morphologically normal spermatozoon may have noncondensed chromatin Andrologia 2015 47 879 886 25220830
- [30]Chelli MH Albert M Ray PF Guthauser B Izard V Hammoud I Can intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection be used to select normal-sized sperm heads in infertile patients with macrocephalic sperm head syndrome? Fertil Steril 2010 93 1347 e1341-1345 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.10.059 19062000 · DOI
- [31]Kahraman S Sertyel S Findikli N Kumtepe Y Oncu N Melil S Effect of PGD on implantation and ongoing pregnancy rates in cases with predominantly macrocephalic spermatozoa Reprod Biomed Online 2004 9 79 85 10.1016/S1472-6483(10)62114-1 15257825 · DOI
- [32]van Munster EB Stap J Hoebe RA te Meerman GJ Aten JA Difference in volume of X- and Y-chromosome-bearing bovine sperm heads matches difference in DNA content Cytometry 1999 35 125 128 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0320(19990201)35:2<125::AID-CYTO3>3.0.CO;2-H 10554167 · DOI
- [33]van Munster EB Interferometry in flow to sort unstained X- and Y-chromosome-bearing bull spermatozoa Cytometry 2002 47 192 199 10.1002/cyto.10064 11891724 · DOI
- [34]Revay T Kopp C Flyckt A Taponen J Ijas R Nagy S Diploid spermatozoa caused by failure of the second meiotic division in a bull Theriogenology 2010 73 421 428 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2009.09.025 19962181 · DOI
- [35]Dieterich K Soto Rifo R Faure AK Hennebicq S Ben Amar B Zahi M Homozygous mutation of AURKC yields large-headed polyploid spermatozoa and causes male infertility Nat Genet 2007 39 661 665 10.1038/ng2027 17435757 · DOI
- [36]Dieterich K Zouari R Harbuz R Vialard F Martinez D Bellayou H The Aurora Kinase C c.144delC mutation causes meiosis I arrest in men and is frequent in the North African population Hum Mol Genet 2009 18 1301 1309 10.1093/hmg/ddp029 19147683 · DOI
- [37]Coutton C Escoffier J Martinez G Arnoult C Ray PF Teratozoospermia: spotlight on the main genetic actors in the human Hum Reprod Update 2015 21 455 485 10.1093/humupd/dmv020 25888788 · DOI · Paper page
- [38]Ounis L Zoghmar A Coutton C Rouabah L Hachemi M Martinez D Mutations of the aurora kinase C gene causing macrozoospermia are the most frequent genetic cause of male infertility in Algerian men Asian J Androl 2015 17 68 73 10.4103/1008-682X.136441 25219909 PMC4291881 · DOI · Paper page
- [39]Ghedir H Gribaa M Mamai O Ben Charfeddine I Braham A Amara A Macrozoospermia: screening for the homozygous c.144delC mutation in AURKC gene in infertile men and estimation of its heterozygosity frequency in the Tunisian population J Assist Reprod Genet 2015 32 1651 1658 10.1007/s10815-015-0565-4 26341096 PMC4651955 · DOI · Paper page
- [40]MacLean JA 2nd Hu Z Welborn JP Song HW Rao MK Wayne CM The RHOX homeodomain proteins regulate the expression of insulin and other metabolic regulators in the testis J Biol Chem 2013 288 34809 34825 10.1074/jbc.M113.486340 24121513 PMC3843094 · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Isolated teratozoospermia: revisiting its relevance in male infertility: a narrative review
Atmoko, W., Savira, M., Shah, R., Chung, E., & Agarwal, A. (2024) · Translational Andrology and Urology · doi:10.21037/tau-23-397 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Mutational analysis of Aurora kinase C gene in Egyptian patients with macrozoospermia
Kobesiy, M. M., Foda, B. M., Ali, O. S. M., Fahmy, I., & Ismail, S. M. (2020) · Andrologia · doi:10.1111/and.13619 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
- Authors
- Guthauser, B., Pollet-Villard, X., Boitrelle, F., & Vialard, F.
- Affiliations
- Hôpital Tenon (FR)
- Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Guthauser, Bruno
- ORCID
- Boitrelle, Florence
- Venue
- Basic and Clinical Andrology
- Published
- 2016-07-08
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 8-8
- ISSN
- 2051-4190 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4939046
- OpenAlex
- W2468415899
- Cited by
- 10
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 1.77
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Basic and Clinical Andrology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Sperm and Testicular Function
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Reproductive Health and Technologies
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Male Reproductive Health Studies
- Keywords
- donor insemination, male infertility, sperm morphology, sperm abnormalities, decision guide
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review