Birth After Electroejaculation Coupled to Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection in a Gun-Shot Spinal Cord-Injured Man

Abstract

We describe the case of a man who, after a gun-shot wound, has become paraplegic. As a consequence of his spinal cord injury he developed infertility due to incomplete erection and anejaculation. After several unsuccessful penile vibratory stimulation attempts, it was possible to achieve ejaculation by means of transrectal electrostimulation. However, the total sperm motility count, the percentage of normal sperm morphology, and the vitality and hypo-osmotic swelling test scores were rather low, and in particular viability was strikingly decreased during sperm preparation. These parameters further decreased following electroejaculate, forcing us to use intracytoplasmic sperm injection instead of conventional in vitro fertilization for the treatment cycle. A normal pregnancy was achieved which resulted in birth of a healthy girl on 1st January 1997.