Question:medium
Which of the following is a feature of obstructive azoospermia?
Which of the following is a feature of obstructive azoospermia?
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Production is intact, only the pipe is blocked, so feedback hormones stay normal.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- High FSH, high testosterone
- Low FSH, high testosterone
- High FSH, low testosterone
- Normal FSH, normal testosterone
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Approach this by working backward from the location of the defect. In obstructive azoospermia the sperm-producing machinery of the testis is fully intact, and the only abnormality is a physical blockage somewhere along the outflow tract that prevents sperm from reaching the ejaculate. Because production itself is preserved, the Sertoli cells continue to secrete inhibin B and the Leydig cells continue to make testosterone normally. A normal inhibin B and normal testosterone level means the pituitary receives the usual negative feedback and keeps FSH within the normal range. So the entire hormone panel looks normal in this patient. Compare this with non-obstructive (testicular) azoospermia, where damaged tubules secrete less inhibin B; the pituitary then loses its brake and pushes FSH upward, which is the classic high-FSH picture of primary testicular failure. A markedly elevated FSH essentially rules out a purely obstructive cause and points to a production problem. Hence the hormone fingerprint of a blockage with intact production is a completely normal profile. \[\boxed{\text{Normal FSH, normal testosterone}}\]
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