(icsi) Health Dictionary

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the most signi?cant therapeutic advance in male INFERTILITY treatment in the past 30 years. The technique is used when in vitro fertilisation (IVF – see under ASSISTED CONCEPTION) is not possible because the man has very few, motile, normal sperm (see SPERMATOZOON), or when previous attempts at IVF have not produced a fertilised EMBRYO. ICSI requires a single sperm which is injected directly into the cytoplasm of an egg previously retrieved from the woman. Once fertilised, the embryo is transferred to her UTERUS. For men with no sperm in the semen, it may be possible to retrieve sperm by needle aspiration of the EPIDIDYMIS under local anaesthetic (see ANAESTHESIA). Other techniques involve microsurgical retrieval from the epididymis or TESTICLE under a general anaesthetic. Potential complications include scrotal pain, bruising, HAEMATOMA formation and infection. ICSI and surgical sperm-retrieval require extensive training and expertise and is currently available in only a few selected

infertility units. Safety concerns relate to a higher-than-expected rate of abnormalities in the SEX CHROMOSOMES after ICSI, and also the potential risk of transmitting paternal genetic defects in the Y chromosome to sons born after ICSI.... intracytoplasmic sperm injection

A rare, inherited condition in which the skin is dry, thickened, scaly, and darker than normal due to abnormal production of keratin. It usually appears at or shortly after birth and improves during childhood. Commonly affected areas are the thighs, arms, and backs of the hands. Lubricants, emulsifying ointments, and bath oils are helpful. icterus A term for jaundice. ICSI See intracytoplasmic sperm injection. id One of the 3 parts of the personality (together with the ego and superego) described by Sigmund Freud. The id is the primitive, unconscious energy store from which come the instincts for food, love, sex, and other basic needs. The id seeks simply to gain pleasure and avoid pain. (See also psychoanalytic theory.)... ichthyosis

(microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration) the removal of spermatozoa from the epididymis by needle *aspiration. This procedure, performed under anaesthetic, may be undertaken to assist conception in cases where the normal passage of sperm from the testis is obstructed, for example by blockage (through infection) of the ducts or by vasectomy. The extracted sperm are subjected to special treatment to select the strongest and most motile; these are then chemically treated to activate them and used for in vitro fertilization (see ICSI).... mesa

(percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration) a method of assisted conception in which spermatozoa are removed directly from the *epididymis under local anaesthetic. The sperm are then used to fertilize egg cells in vitro (see ICSI).... pesa

reducing the impact of complications and progression of established disease. Examples include *cardiac rehabilitation following myocardial infarction, stroke rehabilitation, and screening people with diabetes for diabetic *retinopathy. In practice, the distinction between tertiary and *secondary prevention is often unclear. See also preventive medicine; primary prevention.

TESA (testicular sperm aspiration) a technique used in the treatment of male infertility in which spermatozoa are removed by an incision into and aspiration from the testis. The sperm are then used to fertilize egg cells in vitro (see ICSI).... tertiary prevention