What is sperm agglutination and how is it treated?

There are a huge variety of male health pathologies that can lead to significant problems with the natural conception of a baby. One of them is sperm agglutination.

What it is?

Sperm agglutination means pathological "adhesion" of them to each other. In such a situation, male reproductive cells are simply not able to perform all the vital functions that nature has endowed them with.

The danger of this pathology is that it negatively affects the possibility of natural conception, and in especially severe cases it can lead to the development of male infertility.

All normal male sex cells are located at some distance from each other. This is due to their special property: they all have a negative charge and repel each other from the surface.

The main method of laboratory research that allows diagnosing this pathological condition is spermogram. To perform such an examination, a man should only prepare properly, and then pass semen for analysis.

In the spermogram, in addition to detecting pathological sperm adhesion, other clinical signs can be determined. Such a qualitative and quantitative analysis gives doctors a lot of information about the presence of any pathologies in the male body.

Clinical options

There are several types of pathological adhesion of male germ cells. Each of them is characterized by its own course of development and has distinctive clinical features.

True

In this situation, male reproductive cells stick together. This can happen in any of their parts: for example, they can stick together only with their heads or necks, or in the area of the tails.

Such situations are also possible, when sperm are glued to each other with the whole body. Such situations usually have a worse prognosis..

The danger of the true form is that the male germ cells begin to lose their ability to actively move. This contributes to the fact that the possibility of natural fertilization of the egg is reduced several times.

False

This clinical variant is also called non-specific. In this situation, the sperm do not directly stick together. They connect to each other through biological substratesthat surround them. These include epithelial cells and mucus.

To identify such a situation, correct diagnosis is very important.

In the future, the reliability of the examination results will greatly influence the preparation of treatment tactics. It is important that only experienced specialists carry out diagnostics.... In this case, the risk of obtaining unreliable results is significantly lower.

Mixed

Some researchers may also call this option combined. It is characterized by a combination of the first two types of agglutination.

In the event of the development of this pathological condition spermatozoa begin not only to stick together directly, but also to be glued together through various biological substrates.

Also, sperm can clump together due to the fact that a lot of antisperm antibodies cover them outside. This pathological condition leads to a decrease in the negative charge necessary for sufficient mobility. Ultimately, this leads to agglutination.

Reasons for changing the spermogram

Many scientists believe that the main reason for the development of this pathological condition is a violation of the properties of the blood-testicular barrier. Normally, it is necessary for the normal functioning of the reproductive organs.

This barrier serves as a kind of shield between the immune system and the genitals. If for some reason its functions begin to decline, then ultimately this contributes to the development of pathological conditions.

There are quite a few reasons contributing to this violation. Often various diseases of intimate male organs lead to the development of this pathological condition... They are most often chronic.

It also happens that a man for a long time simply does not know what diseases he has. This is often due to the fact that he did not seek medical advice on time. This is understandable, because the problem is very intimate.

Urologists believe that the long-term consequences of certain viral and bacterial infections can lead to the development of disorders. Sexually transmitted diseases are also the cause.

The danger of many of them is that for quite a long time they simply do not appear... For a long time, a man is not worried about anything, so he does not go to a doctor in a timely manner.

Sexually transmitted diseases with long development can have a rather sad prognosis. In this case, the treatment will take much more time and is usually quite expensive.

The consequences of surgical operations performed on the reproductive organs can also cause the development of sperm agglutination.... In the list of pathologies leading to the development of sperm adhesion, there are operations performed on the testicles.

Intimate injuries can also contribute to the development of sperm agglutination... Most often, the 2 most vulnerable organs are damaged - the seminiferous tubules and the delicate tissue of the testicles. As a rule, the consequences of such injuries are remote, and adverse signs can appear in a man several years after the injury was inflicted.

Chronic diseases of the genitourinary system also contribute to the pathological adhesion of male reproductive cells.

The list of pathologies leading to this includes prostatitis, orchitis, vesiculitis and many other diseases. As a rule, the longer the disease remains untreated, the worse the prognosis of its development.

These pathologies lead to the appearance of a large number of leukocytes in the semen. This pathological condition is called "leukospermia".

Also dyshormonal disorders, varicocele, congenital defects in the structure of reproductive organs can lead to the development of pathological sperm adhesion (most often underdevelopment of the testicles), long-term use of certain drugs, anemic conditions, as well as cystic fibrosis.

How does it manifest?

The severity of clinical signs largely depends on how strong the agglutination is. If the process is insignificant, then it will be almost impossible to suspect any changes only in the appearance of the sperm.

Severe adhesion of sperm cells can lead to the fact that the visual properties of the sperm change. It will become denser and its viscosity will increase. In some cases, small lumps or lumps may form in the ejaculate.

In order to determine the severity of the violations that have arisen, experts use special criteria. They allow them to identify the initial severity of the pathological process.

One plus (+) means that the male ejaculate contains less than a dozen stuck together sperm... This clinical variant is also called isolated.

The obtained result of the study in two plus points (++) indicates that there are already more than ten, but less than 50 stuck together sperm in the male ejaculate.

Three pluses (+++) are already indicative of significant changes. With the development of this form, more than fifty spermatozoa are stuck together.

Worst case - four pluses (++++)... In this case, all spermatozoa are strongly glued together. In this case, both aggregation and agglutination of male germ cells are disrupted.

If a man does not have any pathological changes, then doctors call this condition "normozoospermia". In this case, no significant pathologies are found after the study. In this situation, a remark may appear in the analysis - abs, that is, the absence of this feature.

Treatment

The appearance of sperm agglutination in a man is an important reason for him to see a doctor. It is not worth letting the development of the situation take its course. Often this only leads to a deterioration in the prognosis of the disease and its worse course.

The choice of treatment tactics is determined by the attending physician. They might be andrologist, urologist or reproductologist... It all depends on what exactly the reasons influenced the development of this condition.

It is necessary to treat diseases. Only therapy can restore fertility to a man and make him a father.

If a venereal disease became the cause of the disturbances, then in such a situation you should immediately contact a venereologist. The doctor will draw up a therapy plan and select the necessary medications.

To eliminate the adverse effects, a course of antibiotic therapy will be required.... In some cases, there may be several such courses.

After each of them, an assessment of effectiveness is carried out. If it is unsatisfactory, then the antibiotic is changed to another, and an alternative regimen is carried out.

In order to achieve the best result, doctors may also prescribe adjuvant therapy. These include drugs that improve spermatogenesis, normalize blood flow in the intimate organs, and eliminate antisperm antibodies.

In some situations, additional consultation with an immunologist is required. It is especially important in cases where a man has clear signs of a disturbed immune system.

If varicose veins of the intimate organs have become the cause of the disturbances, you should definitely consult with the operating urologist. Even surgical treatment may be required to eliminate adverse symptoms.

In some cases, hormone therapy is an alternative to surgery. When taking hormonal drugs, it is very important to remember the need to comply with daily and course dosages... Wrong reception can provoke the development of unwanted side effects.

The possibility of natural conception is determined individually. For this, in addition to sperm agglutination, a number of properties are evaluated. The decision on the need for artificial insemination is made by the doctor, taking into account all the examinations performed.

If natural conception in a couple is not possible, modern assisted reproduction methods are performed. In each case, their choice is individual and is determined taking into account the existing problems of a couple who dream of becoming parents.