Propecia Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Propecia, including details on baldness, hair loss, side-effects, results.

Propecia-induced spermatogenic failure: A report of two cases.

Liu KE, Binsaleh S, Lo KC, Jarvi K

Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Reproductive Biology Unit, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the results of two cases of azoospermia and severe oligospermia in men during and after cessation of finasteride 1 mg. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Tertiary-care hospital-based clinic for andrology/male infertility. PATIENT(S): Two patients with azoospermia and severe oligospermia using finasteride 1 mg for hair loss. INTERVENTION(S): Discontinuation of finasteride. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Improvement in sperm concentration. RESULT(S): Patient A had documented azoospermia over 1 year and was initially booked for a testicular biopsy. Six months after discontinuation of finasteride 1 mg daily he showed improvement in sperm concentration to 5.5 x 10(6)/mL. Patient B had severe oligospermia with a sperm concentration of 4 x 10(6)/mL. Sperm concentration improved to 6.6 then 18.7 x 10(6)/mL at 3 and 6 months after stopping finasteride. CONCLUSION(S): We report two cases of infertile patients with azoospermia or severe oligospermia who showed significant improvements in sperm concentrations 6 months after the discontinuation of finasteride. In one case, improvement in semen parameters prevented the need for testicular biopsy and corrected the azoospermia. Stopping finasteride in the infertility population may improve semen parameters, and may allow for less invasive fertility treatments.

Published 6 December 2007 in Fertil Steril.
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