Maturation arrest

Testis and epididymis
Development
Maturation arrest

Topic Completed: 1 September 2012

Revised: 3 January 2020

Copyright: 2002-2018, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed Search: Testis and epididymis Infertility Maturation arrest

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Table of Contents

Definition / general | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images

Cite this page: Al-Hussain T. Maturation arrest. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/testismaturationarrrest.html. Accessed April 9th, 2020.

Definition / general

Complete maturation arrest: germ cell maturity ceases at a specific point frequently at primary spermatocyte level; sperm counts usually zero
Incomplete maturation arrest: similar to complete but a few late spermatids are present in a few seminiferous tubules, some prefer the term hypospermatogenesis instead of incomplete maturation arrest (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2010;134:1197); patients are usually oligospermic
Same etiologies as hypospermatogenesis (diabetes mellitus, toxins, excess heat, varicocele, hypothyroidism, irradiation); also postpubertal gonadotropin deficiency, alkylating agents
Nonzero sperm counts indicate late spermatids are present somewhere in testis, although perhaps not in area biopsied
Patients with early maturation arrest have a greater incidence of genetic anomalies and are more likely to have worse reproductive outcomes than are patients with late maturation arrest (Urology 2012;80:826)

Microscopic (histologic) description

Numerous spermatogonia, few spermatocytes, no mature spermatozoa
Sertoli cells prominent since reduced germ cells
Tubules often contain degenerated cells with irregular dense nuclei

Microscopic (histologic) images

Images hosted on PathOut server:

Contributed by Dr. Asmaa Gaber Abdou, Menofiya University, Egypt

Various images

Images hosted on other servers:

Numerous spermatogonia

Sertoli cells