Teratozoospermia

Teratozoospermia is a condition where there are a large number of misshapen sperm found in a man’s semen. Normal sperm morphology includes an oval-shaped head that is smooth, a well-defined cap, a connecting mid-piece, and a long straight tail.

Abnormally shaped sperm may have difficulties reaching an egg or passing through the outer layer of the egg, known as the zona pellucida. It is not uncommon for abnormally shaped sperm to contain an extra chromosome, be deficient a chromosome, or contain abnormal DNA.

Men with abnormally shaped sperm may have difficulty contributing to spontaneously conceived pregnancy.