The Role of Histomorphometric Analysis of Spermatozoa amongst Infertile Males and Its Implications in an Infertility Clinic

Abstract

Background: Infertility is a global health concern, with male factor infertility accounting for half of cases. Increased awareness and access to reproductive health services in Nigeria prompt more male fertility evaluations, improving diagnostic accuracy and patient counselling. Aims: Male infertility has been a cause for concern globally, and with this in mind, this study has investigated the histomorphometric characteristics of spermatozoa and their implications for male infertility. Methods: The cross-sectional descriptive study examined semen samples from 120 males with infertility issues attending a major fertility hospital in Port Harcourt. These samples were analysed following World Health Organization guidelines for sperm assessment for abnormalities and morphological defects. The metric dimensions of the head length, midpiece length and tail length of the sperm cells were measured via photomicrographs using Image J software. Data were analysed using SPSS version 27. Chi-square and Spearman Correlation tests were used to determine the relationship between sperm dimensions and categories of abnormalities at a significance level of 0.05. Results: Histomorphometric analysis revealed that the tail dimensions of spermatozoa, regardless of the abnormality type, averaged 35.57 micrometres. This is below the reported standard measurement of 45.00 micrometres for fertile males. Males with teratozoospermia had spermatozoa with a midpiece length of 3.09 micrometres; those with asthenoteratozoospermia exhibited a head length of 5.62 micrometres and a tail length of 36.49 micrometres. Conclusion:  The findings also indicated that teratozoospermia is the most common abnormality among infertile males, showing the highest prevalence of head, midpiece, and tail morphological defects. No significant (p>0.05) correlation was found between head, midpiece, and tail lengths and the types of sperm abnormalities. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that spermatozoa dimensions are not reliable for predicting the specific sperm abnormalities in infertile males.