Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration Health Dictionary

See SPERMATOZOON.... sperm

Aspiration means the withdrawal of ?uid or gases from the natural cavities of the body or from cavities produced by disease. It may be performed for curative purposes; alternatively, a small amount of ?uid may be drawn o? for diagnosis of its nature or origin. An instrument called an aspirator is used to remove blood and ?uid from a surgical-operation site – for example, the abdomen or the mouth (in dentistry).

PLEURISY with e?usion is a condition requiring aspiration, and a litre or more of ?uid may be drawn o? by an aspirator or a large syringe and needle. Chronic abscesses and tuberculous joints may call for its use, the operation being done with a small syringe and hollow needle. PERICARDITIS with e?usion is another condition in which aspiration is sometimes performed. The spinal canal is aspirated by the operation of LUMBAR PUNCTURE. In children the ventricles of the brain are sometimes similarly relieved from excess of ?uid by piercing the fontanelle (soft spot) on the infant’s head. (See HYDROCEPHALUS.)... aspiration

Any method of administering remedies by passing them through the SKIN, as by rubbing in an ointment or applying a patch containing a drug.... percutaneous

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 treatment for a stenosed (restricted) coronary artery (see ARTERIES). A balloon-tipped catheter (see CATHETERS) is passed through an incision in the skin of the chest into the artery of the HEART that has developed stenosis (narrowing). The balloon is aligned with the stenosed section and then in?ated to dilate the coronary artery and allow the blood to ?ow more freely.... percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

A technique for displaying the bile ducts (see BILE DUCT) and pancreatic ducts (see PANCREAS) with radio-opaque dyes. These are introduced via a catheter (see CATHETERS) inserted into the ducts through an incision in the skin. An X-ray is then taken of the area.... percutaneous transhepatic cholangiopancreatography (ptc)

A harmless swelling, usually painless, that develops in the epididymis.

Small cysts are common in men over 40 and need no treatment.

Rarely, they become tender or enlarge and cause discomfort, in which case surgical removal may be necessary.... epididymal cyst

See biopsy.... needle aspiration

the *aspiration of specimens of cells from tumours or cysts through a hollow needle, using a syringe, and their subsequent examination under the microscope after suitable preparation (by staining, etc.). The technique is now used widely, especially for superficial cysts or tumours, and has become a specialized branch of diagnostic pathology. See also fine-needle aspiration cytology.... aspiration cytology

(FNA cytology) a technique in which a thin hollow needle is inserted into a mass to extract a tissue sample for microscopic examination. It is useful for detecting the presence of malignant cells, particularly in lumps of the breast and thyroid. See also aspiration cytology.... fine-needle aspiration cytology

(MVA) see vacuum aspiration.... manual vacuum aspiration

a condition occurring during childbirth in which the baby inhales meconium into the lungs during delivery. This can cause plugs in the airways and the baby may become short of oxygen (hypoxic). Treatment is to assist breathing if necessary, with physiotherapy and antibiotics.... meconium aspiration

see MESA.... microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration

(PCI) treatment of coronary artery disease delivered by cardiac *catheterization. This usually means *coronary angioplasty followed by insertion of a coronary *stent, but also includes more specialized procedures, such as rotational *atherectomy (rotablation). Primary PCI refers to the use of PCI as the first-line treatment to relieve coronary obstruction in S-T elevation *myocardial infarction, rather than *thrombolysis. Rescue PCI is used in the event of unsuccessful thrombolysis.... percutaneous coronary intervention

(PCNL) a technique of removing stones from the kidney via a *nephroscope passed into the kidney through a dilated track established from the skin surface into the renal pelvis.... percutaneous nephrolithotomy

imaging of the bile duct and pancreatic duct. A catheter is carefully manipulated into the ducts via direct puncture through the abdomen under radiological guidance. Contrast material is flushed through the catheter to delineate the ducts (see also cholangiography). This procedure is often performed in cases of obstructive jaundice prior to insertion of a biliary drain or stent when *ERCP is not possible.... percutaneous transhepatic cholangiopancreatography

a facility that collects, freezes, and stores human sperm for future use in *artificial insemination (see cryopreservation). Sperm is donated by men who relinquish legal rights to any future child, and donors’ identities are generally unknown to recipients. In some cases, men store their sperm for their own future use if they are to undergo a medical treatment that might leave them sterile.... sperm bank

see seminal analysis.... sperm count

the removal by suction of the products of conception to terminate a pregnancy or evacuate the uterus following miscarriage. Carried out under local anaesthetic up to the 12th week of pregnancy, it uses a hand-held syringe (manual vacuum aspiration, MVA) or an electric pump (electric vacuum aspiration, EVA) to create suction.... vacuum aspiration